The theory of change pdf

Theories of change time for a radical approach to learning in development 5. Keywords cats, changing as three steps, change management, kurt lewin, management history, michel foucault corresponding author. Pdf although frequently discussed in the evaluation literature and general agreement on what a theory of change is conceptually, there is. Applying a theory of change approach to the evaluation of comprehensive community initiatives. It can be developed for any level of intervention an event, a project. Through its corporate responsibility in eliminating slavery and trafficking initiative crest, iom has developed the toc with input from the private sector, expert organizations, civil society, as well as. Using theory of change in the development, implementation. Developing a theory of change for your project what is a theory of change. A theory of change approach to planning and evaluation is increasingly being considered essential practice within social development. A theory of change is a diagram that explains how your project has an impact on young people. In this sense, capacities are part of the continuum to achieve comprehensive community change. Theory of change toc is a specific type of methodology for planning, participation, and.

Building on her work, we have defined a theory of change approach to cci evaluation as a systematic and cumulative study of the links between activities, outcomes, and contexts of. The theory of change approach focuses on the assumptions that underlie social innovations and compels the kind of focus on evaluation that can help social programs improve. Theory of change toc is an approach to developing, implementing and evaluating programmes of. Theory of change slide 2 meteorological, political and social a theory of change is a set of diagrams and complementary text that describe, in detail, how outputs from interventions interact with. Lewins threestage model of change2 focuses on the driving forces that facilitate or hinder change, and how those involved in the change agree that the change is necessary, collaborate towards the desired result and. Theory of change is a method and an approach that, in recent years, has been increasingly used for designing and monitoring development interventions and also as a framework for use in evaluations. The output from a theory of change process describes how we believe our activities will lead to the outcomes and impacts we want to achieve. Theory of change toc is an approach to developing, implementing and evaluating programmes of development, and has been applied across a wide range of programmatic contexts. It is a practical model that allows you to articulate how you will achieve your aim, and what assumptions you are making. Theory of change toc is a specific type of methodology for planning, participation, and evaluation that is used in companies, philanthropy, notforprofit and government sectors to promote social change.

I want to clarify my priorities by defining my goals and. The theory of change tool not only helps to clearly articulate and. A theory of change is a tool to help you describe the need you are trying to address, the changes you want to make your outcomes, and what you plan to do your activities. Grounding projects in change theory allows change agents. The theory of change, then, is a tool that can be used to explain and articulate the logical connection between a lower level result and a higher level result.

Believe it or not, this is an artifact of our early attempts to draw these in microsoft word. Introducing a theory of change approach to social development. A written nonprofit theory of change will give you and your stakeholdersincluding your donors and staffa deeper understanding of the problem youre trying to solve and the steps you need to take to realize your vision of the world. Short discussion on what is sufficiently long time. Common elements include an articulation of how change happens in a particular context, clarification of an organisations role in. This theory of change on ending genderbased violence against women and girls consists of a diagram p.

Throughout our work and personal lives we have aims, objectives and ideas about how to achieve our goals, but we rarely take the time to think these through, articulate and scrutinise them. Realism and theory change in science stanford encyclopedia. Building human resources for supply chain management. The label theory of change is often referred to by other terms, such as pathway of change, engine of change, blueprint, logic model and theory of action. It can be developed for any level of intervention an event, a project, a programme, a policy, a strategy or an organization.

Theory of change narrative the project is based on the theory that recruitment and retention of newly diagnosed people living with hiv plhiv into care and support groups will reduce the high rate of loss to follow up between the time of diagnosis and the commencement of art. Kellogg foundation 65656565 developing a theory of change logic model for your program drawing a picture of why your program should succeed hether you are a grantseeker developing a proposal for startup funds or a grantee with a program already in operation, developing a logic model. Useful theory of change models john mayne ottawa, ontario abstract. But an impact pathway, results chain, or a logic model is not a theory of change. Review of the use of theory of change in international development. Theories of change time for a radical approach to learning in development 3. The realist move from substantive continuity in theorychange to truthlikeness has been challenged on grounds that there is no entitlement to move from whatever preservation in theoretical constituents there is in theorychange to these constituents being truthlike chang 2003. Available at aboutdocumentsthe%20strategy%20lifecycle. The approach can be used for organisations of all shapes and sizes from servicedelivery charities, to campaigning organisations, to funders. Managing corporate change is one of the biggest challenges facing organizations. Only when we add the assumptions to the causal links in the impact pathway do we get a theory of change. The clarity of purposes, results, and strategies that theory of change delivers. Jul 10, 2015 this slideshare describes the theory of change approach to program planning and design. In developing a theory of change, the fi rst step is to develop the impact path way.

Theory of change defines longterm goals and then maps backward to identify necessary preconditions. The range of examples represents how different groups have approached their theory of change thinking. The community builders approach to theory of change. Espa guide to working with theory of change for research. The terminology and the different options can be confusing at first. Developing a theory of change keystone accountability. Theory of change is an approach to planning, learning, reflection and documentation of the change we make as development planners and practitioners. Regardless of the label, a theory of change offers a picture of important destinations and guides you on what to look for on the journey to ensure you are on the right pathway.

Does your nonprofit have a theory of change document. A practical guide to theory development we draw a pathway of change in a way that may seem peculiar at. Applying a theory of change approach to the evaluation of. This concept was developed as part of the jsrp inception phase report june 2012. I first became aware of the term theory of change during npcs research into campaigning. Although theories of change are frequently discussed in the evaluation literature and there is general agreement on what a theory of change is conceptually, there is actually little agreement beyond the big picture of just what a theory of change. Although critics argue they are outdated, the more recent theories of behaviour change still draw on some aspects of these two theories. Theory of change is a rigorous yet participatory process whereby groups and stakeholders in a planning process articulate their longterm goals and identify the conditions they believe have to unfold for those goals to be met.

This essay describes the connections between a theory of change and change theory and provides examples of how change theory can inform a projects theory of change. A toc provides a detailed description of goals and how change is expected to occur. But, given that times change and with them technologies and philosophies must also change, you as a. Theory of change originated as an evaluation tool, and as such it explains the pathways of change that lead to the longterm goal and the connections between activities, outputs and outcomes that occur at each step along the way. Useful theory of change models canadian evaluation society. There is no perfect example, as all theories of change should vary depending on the views of those. Theory of change inspires and supports innovation and improvement in programmes the central idea in theory of. This lesson compares two theories of corporate change, theory e. Since its birth in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the field of comprehensive community initiatives ccis has been struggling to find evaluation strategies and methodologies that. A theory of change is a tool to help you describe the need you are trying to address, the changes you want to make your outcomes, and what you plan to do.

A theory of change is an incredible tool for helping a nonprofit articulate what value they provide the community. Its a way to explain why we fund what we are funding. For example, an organisation may use theories of change as a way to communicate their goals to funders, but also to promote internal learning on programme strategy. Theory of change page 5 the education sector1 identified four different researchbased theories to inform the evaluation.

No new tool or approach can in itself address problems of institutional incentives in the sector that block such learning. Using theory of change in the development, implementation and. Applied to evaluation, it can help grant makers and grantees alike know. The approach developed somewhat organically, beginning in the 1990s with work undertaken by the aspen institute. Using a theory of change to guide planning and evaluaion for a foundation, one grant maker explained, a theory of change is a powerful way to promote accountability and transparency. You can use different techniques to match your communitys tolerance for planning versus doing. A theory of change can be particularly useful for evaluating policy work as it identifies the intermediate outcomes and causal pathways.

Understanding behaviour change how to apply theories of. A theory of change explains how activities are understood to produce a series of results that contribute to achieving the final intended impacts. A theory of change can be developed for an intervention. Setting up a theory of change is like making a roadmap that outlines the steps by which you plan to achieve your goal. Keystones theory of change interactive pdf template. Beginning at the left, the figure illustrates how, when wraparound is true to the principles and practice described by the nwi, the. A theory of change describes the types of interventions a single program. Together they provide an overview of the interventions. Impact planning, assessment and learning an overview 2. There is a tension between toc as an externallyimposed and as an internallydriven process. Social change is such a prevalent and often disturbing feature of contemporary life that one may be tempted to suppose that it is peculiarly modern. Equally important are the attributes of change agents who are, according to marquis and huston 2008, skilled in the theory and implementation of planned change and who are often nurse managers. At its most basic, a theory of change explains how a group of early and intermediate accomplishments sets the. Theory of change for improving the quality of general education in.

Of course, a theory of change is only as useful as its practical application and we. The theories of change available to a field are not static but. Ideally, a theory of change is informed by change theories. Beginning at the left, the figure illustrates how, when wraparound is true to the principles and practice described by the nwi, the result is a wraparound process with certain characteristics.

Highquality planning and problem solving respect for values, culture, expertise blending perspectives collaboration familydriven, youth guided goal structure and decisions opportunities for choice individualization evaluation of process strategies. In very general terms, donors, foundations and policylevel organisations and departments tend to work with highlevel theories of. A theory of change toc of a project intervention describes the processes of change by outlining the causal pathways from outputs goods and. Building human resources for supply chain management theory.

Weiss 1995 defines a theory of change quite simply and elegantly as a theory of how and why an initiative works. Theories of change unicef strategic plan, 20182021 2 june 2017. At npc, we tend to think of theory of change as the foundation of charity strategy, evaluation and communication. Developing a theory of change a guide to developing a theory of change as a framework for inclusive dialogue, learning and accountability for social impact. Selecting the best theory to implement planned change. Thus, it can be used to design, monitor and evaluate social change initiatives, including peacebuilding.

They are elements that enable influence, leverage and impact to happen. The theory of change is based on the fundamental logic that a road can provide access to markets as well as allow for the provision of security, which in turn can lead to improved incomes and security for the population of north and south kivu. Theories of change are drawn from the fields such as education and health in which both funders and their grantees operate. Theories of change tocs in international development programming, with field. The guide then looks at why would a grant maker develop and use a theory of change, and goes on to answer a number of common questions that are asked about the process. Social change is the significant alteration of social structures i. This document provides examples of theories of change of different types.

A practical tool for action, results and learning what does a theory of change look like. Theory of change is actually a very simple concept. Posted by christopher smith on october 28, 20 april 6, 2020 posted in change management so, youre ready to get into change management. Its not an easy field to work in, let alone to master. Theory of change has come to be near synonymous with programme theory, even if that link has not been made explicit. It locates a programme or project within a wider analysis of how change comes about. Nov 20, 2015 the theory of change approach, with its focus on continuous critical reflection, demands a radical shift towards more and better learning in development thinking and practice. However, there is a recognition that theory of change should not become just another donor hoop to jump through. As such, a theory of change can be an incredible galvanizing force for getting board, staff, and funders engaged and invested in an exciting future direction for the organization. It is difficult to trace precisely when the term theory of change was first used, but a hint at its origins can be found in the considerable body of theoretical and applied development in the evaluation field, especially among the work of people such as huey chen, peter rossi, michael quinn patton, and. Lewins threestage model of change2 focuses on the driving forces that facilitate or hinder change, and how those.

A theory of change for tackling violence against women and girls. Figure 1 see following page provides an overview of this theory. Theories of change fulfil a number of different purposes, including strategic planning, communication, accountability and learning. Theory of change is an ongoing process of reflection to explore change and how it happens and what that means for the part we play in a particular context, sector andor group of people. A theory of change also reveals what should be evaluated, when, and how. These conditions are modeled as desired outcomes, arranged graphically in a causal framework. It helps you define whether your work is contributing towards achieving the impact you envision, and if there is another way that you need to consider as well. A theory of change a wraparound process characterized by.

All a theory of change process does is to make these assumptions explicit and therefore more testable. Theory of change statement theory of change statement if access to education for girls and boys from early childhood to adolescence, including children with disabilities and minorities and other vulnerable groups is increased and sustained. Developing a theory of change through a stakeholder workshop. Theory of change 7 a theory of change toc captures complexity and allows users to understand how a number of program activities link to one another and lead to goals. Theory of change provides a working model against which to test hypotheses and assumptions about what actions will best bring about the intended outcomes. One recommended approach is to develop an outcome map, a visual diagram.