Outcome Statement Checklist
An outcome is a change we hope to produce through a program or initiative. It is a desired result we aim to achieve
through our actions.
Outcomes are often listed as short, medium, or long term. An outcome statement ought to be specific, the likely
consequence of the program under consideration, and something the program intends to achieve.
An outcome differs from an output. An output is product or service generated by a program’s activities. Outputs are
tangible deliverables that you can count immediately after a process related to a program. Examples of outputs may be
reports, meetings, assessments, cheques, bus passes, referrals, etc. In contrast, an outcome is a change in
condition/behavior/attitude that is seldom tangible and often the indirect result of several activities and their outputs.
Outcomes are less like things you can grab and count and more like concepts that you must measure.
E.g.) Output: number of visits between children in out-of-home care and parents
Outcome: increased health of parent-child bond among children in out-of-home care
Complete the following for each outcome:
1. List the outcome statement: Families demonstrated healthy parenting behaviour.
2. Check each of the criteria below.
3. Revise the outcome statement above until all checks are in the yellow or green boxes.
Intended Outcome Checklist
The change desired is specific
Is the desired change explicitly described?
No
Yes
Comments
Are the people who will undergo change
indicated?
Is there only one change described in the
outcome?
Is there a time-period attached to the
outcome?
The program likely causes the change
Do the program activities have a logical causal
connection to the desired change?
The outcome is intended
Does the desired change align with the
program’s goals?
The outcome is not an output
Is the change expressed an immediate
deliverable (e.g., report, # served, contact hrs)?
Joshua Freistadt, PhD
Government of Saskatchewan
Strategic Management Branch, Ministry of Social Services
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