8a. Planning Frameworks vs Theories: What’s the Difference?  

This week’s module focuses on the various frameworks or models that have been developed to guide intervention planning. The ultimate aim of these frameworks is to help population health practitioners determine their intervention objectives and the strategies that may be most useful to achieve these objectives. 

This module introduces you to one of the most widely used frameworks for planning population health initiatives. But before we delve into that content, I want to discuss the difference between planning frameworks (or models) and the range of population health theories you’ve learned about in the last five modules.

Planning Frameworks ≠ Theories

Planning models or frameworks aren’t theories, although, as you will see, they can incorporate key elements of behaviour change theories. Unlike theories, models and frameworks typically do not try to explain or predict relationships between variables thought to be associated with the health outcome of interest (e.g., what motivates people to exercise more frequently). Rather, models and frameworks provide a logical structure for applying theories so that the most appropriate mix of objectives and intervention strategies can be identified and implemented. They are like road maps that can be used to help us reach a selected destination.

man leaning out side of vehicle with road map in his hands, mountains in the distance