Co-designing change: How logic model workshops support real-world innovation

We recently completed a project with Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Hospital (HPFT) to evaluate a new suicide prevention pathway that aims to create a structured and joined-up service to ensure people at risk of suicide get the support needed. Key to this project was our use of a logic model framework, the ‘Research Implementation Logic Model’ (1), to allow us to gather relevant information about factors influencing pathway implementation and to rapidly mobilise the evidence and insights gathered to help inform adaptation and improvement. We facilitated regular workshops with staff to support adaptive learning and improvement, with the visuals created through the logic modelling central to being able to share and discuss emerging insights.

See our project and programme case study and full report here.

We worked with three early-stage innovators as part of the Essex Care Tech Challenge Fund to support them to develop a logic model for their intervention – with a particular focus on potential pathways, associated assumptions and outcomes. ​Using a logic modelling approach and co-development sessions we were able to support them to test their assumptions and develop a range of hypotheses for evaluating the impacts of the innovation.

“On behalf of the Supersense team, just wanted to write a big note of thanks for yesterday’s Theory of change workshop. You have certainly stimulated a lot of thinking on our end! Thank you for walking us through the process, your expert facilitation and for the upfront thinking you did relating to our project. Look forward to executing some of the activities we discussed”

– Matt Ash, Chief Technology Officer, Supersense Technologies.

Feel Good Suffolk is the county’s healthy lifestyles service, funded by the Public Health team at Suffolk County Council, supporting residents to stop smoking, manage their weight and be physically active. It is delivered through a unique partnership model involving all of Suffolk’s District and Borough councils. Health Innovation have been commissioned to co-design an evaluation framework and to evaluate the impact Feel Good Suffolk it is having for the population of Suffolk. We will complete an initial evaluation of the service over a two-year period ending December 2026. As part of a developmental evaluation approach, we are facilitating Theory of Change and Ripple Effect Mapping workshops, alongside actor mapping, surveys and interviews to gather rich insights from multiple staff and service users about their experiences and views of Feel Good Suffolk services and impact. Using mapping approaches will be key to visualising and understanding relationships between activities, resources, and impact within this complex system-wide service. Early feedback from staff involved has already highlighted the value in early mapping workshops.

“Collaborating with Health Innovation East has been instrumental in helping us think more purposefully about our impact beyond traditional KPIs. Their support is enabling us to embed reflective practices, capture meaningful outcomes, and use evaluation as a powerful tool to shape and improve our services.”

– Georgina Howe, Strategic Manager. Feel Good Suffolk)

(1) Smith JD, Li DH, Rafferty MR. The implementation research logic model: a method for planning, executing, reporting, and synthesizing implementation projects. Implementation Science. 2020;15:1-12.