Results Framework

Overview

The Results Framework is the logical backbone of ImpactMEL. It models the causal chain from field activities to long-term development impact using a tree of Result Nodes.

Impact
  └── Outcome 1
       ├── Output 1.1
       │    └── Activity A  (linked to Output)
       └── Output 1.2
            └── Activity B

Every indicator and activity can be linked to a node in this tree, giving you a complete picture of what is contributing to each result.

---

Result Node Levels

Level	Description	Example
Impact	Long-term change in people's lives	"Improved water security in rural Rwanda"
Outcome	Medium-term behavioral or institutional change	"Communities adopt safe hygiene practices"
Output	Direct deliverables from project activities	"500 households have access to clean water points"

Activities are linked to Output nodes — they describe the work done to produce an output.

---

Data Structure

ResultNode {
  id: uuid
  orgId: uuid
  programId: uuid
  parentId: uuid | null   // null for Impact nodes (roots)
  level: 'impact' | 'outcome' | 'output'
  title: string
  description: text
  orderIndex: number      // sort order within parent
}

---

Building a Results Framework

Via the UI

1. Navigate to Results Framework in the sidebar
2. Click Add Impact to create a root node
3. Click the + button on any node to add child outcomes/outputs
4. Drag nodes to reorder them
5. Click a node to edit its title and description

Via the API

POST /orgs/:orgId/programs/:programId/result-nodes
{
  "level": "outcome",
  "parentId": "impact-node-uuid",
  "title": "Communities adopt safe hygiene practices",
  "description": "..."
}

---

Linking Indicators to Result Nodes

When creating or editing an indicator, set resultNodeId to pin it to an Output or Outcome:

PATCH /orgs/:orgId/indicators/:id
{ "resultNodeId": "output-node-uuid" }

In reports, indicators are grouped by their result node, making it clear which outputs are on track.

---

Linking Activities to Result Nodes

Activities are linked to Output nodes via outputId:

POST /orgs/:orgId/projects/:projectId/activities
{
  "title": "Community training session",
  "outputId": "output-node-uuid",
  ...
}

---

API Reference

Method	Path	Description
GET	/orgs/:orgId/programs/:programId/result-nodes	List all nodes (tree)
POST	/orgs/:orgId/programs/:programId/result-nodes	Create a node
PATCH	/orgs/:orgId/result-nodes/:id	Update node
DELETE	/orgs/:orgId/result-nodes/:id	Delete node (cascades children)
PATCH	/orgs/:orgId/result-nodes/reorder	Bulk reorder nodes