A results chain is a diagram that depicts the assumed causal linkage between an intervention and desired impacts through a series of expected intermediate results (Foundations of Success 2009, Margulis et al. 2013). We recommend starting results chains (on the left) with a statement of the undesirable state you wish to alter, and ending them (on the right) with a statement of the desirable state you wish to achieve. The description of the undesirable state can be a statement of a key challenge identified in previous steps. The results chain should set you up to assess whether a given strategy will likely achieve the minimum goal, so elements on the right leading to the desired state should reflect elements of your minimum goal statement. Including language defining the undesirable and desirable states also helps ensure results chains represent causal logic from conservation action all the way to outcome, rather than stopping short at implementation of actions or intermediate outcomes.
The example shown here demonstrates how the links in a situation analysis can be modified and expanded upon to show the change expected by the implementation of a strategy.