Scoring Criteria
Assumptions are named at every transition: activity-to-output, output-to-outcome, and outcome-to-impact. No transition is left blank or marked "none".
Assumptions are named at every outcome and impact transition. No more than two activity-to-output transitions are blank, and these are at the lowest-risk activities.
Assumptions are named at the outcome and impact levels. Most activity-to-output transitions are blank or marked "none". The pattern of coverage is uneven across the framework.
Assumptions are named at only one level (typically impact), or coverage is systematically missing at the outcome level. Half or more transitions have no assumption stated.
No assumptions named, or assumptions appear only as a generic note that does not map to any specific transition.
Every assumption is a specific proposition that names the relevant actors, conditions, or behaviors (e.g., "District health officials approve the revised reporting protocol within six months of submission"). No vague phrases.
At least 80 percent of assumptions are specific. No more than 20 percent rely on generic phrases such as "government cooperation continues" or "stable political environment".
Half or more assumptions are specific. The remainder are generic phrases that could apply to almost any program.
Half or fewer assumptions are specific. Most are generic phrases (e.g., "good weather", "stakeholder engagement", "no major disruptions").
All assumptions are generic phrases or trivially true statements (e.g., "staff will work hard").
Each assumption explicitly addresses a real risk to the causal link between two named levels. The assumption answers the question: "What must be true beyond program control for level N to lead to level N+1?"
At least 80 percent of assumptions clearly address a causal-link risk. No more than 20 percent are loosely connected to a specific transition.
Half or more assumptions address a causal-link risk. The remainder are listed in the assumptions column but do not clearly explain a risk between two levels.
Most assumptions are not tied to a specific causal link. They appear as a general list of external conditions rather than transition-specific propositions.
No causal-link reasoning. Assumptions are general statements unrelated to the logic of the framework.
Every assumption could plausibly be monitored or tested with a named data source or observation method (e.g., budget releases tracked, partnership agreements reviewed quarterly). Testability is implied by the phrasing of each assumption.
At least 80 percent of assumptions are testable. No more than 20 percent are stated so broadly that monitoring would be ambiguous.
Half or more assumptions are testable. The remainder are stated too broadly or invoke conditions ("political will") that would require interpretation to monitor.
Half or fewer assumptions could be monitored as stated. Most invoke broad conditions or require subjective interpretation.
No assumptions are testable. All are stated as vague conditions ("conducive environment") without a monitoring path.
Assumptions (positive conditions that must hold) are clearly distinct from risks (negative events the program does not control). The framework either uses a separate risk register or maintains a consistent positive-condition phrasing in the assumptions column. No program activities appear as assumptions.
Assumptions are mostly distinct from risks. No more than two items in the column are phrased as risks or as program activities.
The distinction is recognizable but inconsistently applied. Half or more items are phrased as positive conditions, but several are risks or program responsibilities mislabeled as assumptions.
The column conflates assumptions with risks and program activities. Half or more items are inappropriate for the assumptions column.
No differentiation. The column lists everything from program activities to external events as undifferentiated assumptions.
Score Interpretation
| Total (out of 25) | Band | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| 22-25 | Strong | Minor refinements only |
| 17-21 | Adequate | Address flagged dimensions before submission |
| 11-16 | Needs Revision | Return to design team with AI output as revision brief |
| 5-10 | Substantial Revision | Rebuild the assumptions column alongside a risk register before proceeding |