Scoring Criteria
Pathway connects inputs and activities through outputs, immediate outcomes, intermediate outcomes, long-term outcomes, and impact. Every level represented.
All major levels represented. One level lightly populated but the chain reads end-to-end.
Most levels represented but at least one missing or collapsed. Chain has shape but a level is absent.
Half or more levels missing or collapsed. Pathway jumps from activities to long-term outcomes.
No end-to-end coverage. Activities only, or outcomes only, with nothing connecting them.
Every transition from short-term to long-term outcomes has a named intermediate step. No level skipped.
No fewer than 80 percent of transitions have an intermediate step. The remainder compress two related outcomes.
Half or more transitions have an intermediate step. The remainder skip from short-term to long-term outcomes.
Fewer than half have intermediate steps. Pathway is mostly short-term outcomes to ultimate goal with no bridge.
No intermediate outcomes. Activities then ultimate goal with nothing between.
Each step credibly causes the next, with mechanism stated. Reads as if-then statements traceable by an outside reader.
Mechanism stated for no fewer than 80 percent of steps. The remainder credible but mechanism implied.
Mechanism stated for half or more steps. The remainder rely on common-sense connections not made explicit.
Mechanism stated for fewer than half of steps. Several transitions require unstated theory or contain implausible leaps.
No mechanisms stated. Reads as a list of desired states.
Alternative or branching pathways shown where relevant. Convergence points named. Single-pathway ToCs justified.
Major branching shown. One or two minor branches collapsed but alternative pathway logic recognizable. Convergence named.
Branching referenced but not fully drawn out, OR single-pathway without justification despite obvious component differences.
No branching shown despite multiple distinct components or audiences. Single linear pathway forced on a multi-component program.
No consideration of branching. Single linear chain with no acknowledgment of complexity.
What the program does and does not cause explicitly stated. Contribution acknowledged where program is one of several actors. External actors named. Boundary clear.
Scope reasonably bounded. Contribution acknowledged at major attribution points. One or two transitions may overstate program agency.
Scope implied but not explicit. Contribution and attribution conflated at half or more transitions. External actors named in passing.
Over-ambitious scope at multiple points. Program claims full credit for changes involving many actors. External actors not named.
No scope boundary. ToC claims attribution for population-level change with no acknowledgment of other actors.
Score Interpretation
| Total Score | 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 | Facilitate a ToC design workshop before further drafting |