Suggestions for laying out models

Outcomes models can be visualized in different ways..Some suggested visual conventions for drawing outcomes models in DoView are set out below if you are representing your models as a Bottom-to-Top model:

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Put your highest level outcomes at the top of a page and lower level outcomes below them. This is consistent with outcomes orientated thinking because it makes the high level outcomes the most prominent part of the model. It is also convenient because you usually have more lower level outcomes in a model than high level ones and these can spread out over more than one page, using drill down below a high level page containing your high level outcomes. You can insert a direction pointer to show the direction in which the model is flowing.

•	For outcomes that affect many levels of other outcomes, put them down one side of the model by rotating them to show that they 'flow-over' the whole model.

•	Do not put measurements (indicators) in as steps within your outcomes models, put measurements in as Indicators.

•	Use colors to help readers understand an outcomes model (e.g. by using it to signify different drill-down pages.

•	Use the color of the color blocks next to page names to also help readers understand how your model flows. See Section on Pages.

•	Use positioning of outcomes to visually show causality.

•	Use different pages to show outcomes which are conceptually connected, for instance, have a page for national, locality, organizational and individual level.

•	Put the date and version number in small text at the bottom right of your page.