Theory of change toc is an approach to developing, implementing and evaluating programmes of. Useful theory of change models canadian evaluation society. Th eories of change are models of how change is expected to happen ex ante case or how change has happened ex postcase. It is focused in particular on mapping out or filling in what has been described as the missing middle between what a program or change initiative does its activities or interventions and how these lead to desired goals being achieved. One recommended approach is to develop an outcome map, a visual diagram. 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. Theory of change paper, unicef strategic plan, 2018 2021. Late status quo late status quo describes a fairly stable system individual or group where occurrences are predictable, familiar and comfortable. The theory of change can also be a valuable guide in developing strategy. There are occasional hints at the rst and the fourth, leaving the others largely untouched. A theory of change model requires active involvement from stakeholders, testing assumptions which can be measured. All a theory of change process does is to make these assumptions explicit and therefore more testable. This is an updated and revised version of the paper posted in 2016.
Specifying the causal mechanisms transforms a logic model into a theory of change. Kotters observations of countless leaders and organizations as they were trying to transform or execute their strategies. A toc map looks a little like a driver diagram or a logic model. A theory of change models outcomes in an outcomes pathway. Gives the big picture, including issues related to the environment or context that you cant control. Organizational change abstract does it matter what change model is used to make a change in an organization.
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. Heraclitus, greek philosopher what was true more than two thousand years ago is just as true today. Then, summarize your theory in ways that serve the purposes of your different constituents, such as residents, funders, boards, etc. Child protection is critical for all child wellbeing cwb aspirations and outcomes. Jul 10, 2015 this slideshare describes the theory of change approach to program planning and design.
Lewins change theory fits well with health care changes. We investigate how and why changing as three steps came to be understood as the foundation of the fledgling subfield of change management and to influence change theory and practice to this day, and how questioning this supposed foundation can encourage innovation. There is no perfect example, as all theories of change should vary depending on the views of those. Using theory of change in the development, implementation and. Theory of change is a tool used to model how shortterm changes lead to longterm impacts. 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. Shows all the different pathways that might lead to change, even if those pathways are not related to your program. Theory of change is a structured process to help develop a description of how research links to development outcomes. A theory of change can be developed for an intervention. It is an essential part of a successful community transformation effort.
The 8step process for leading change was cultivated from over four decades of dr. The theory of reasoned action is perhaps the bestknown socialpsychological attitudebehaviour model and incorporates external factors normative social influences on behavioural intention ajzen and fishbein, 1980. A theory of change model captivates all the essential elements needed to achieve a longterm goal to be successful, your theory of change model should communicate whats required from participants to reach business goals, utilizing measurable indicators of success. Prochaska and diclementes change theory initially, the purpose of prochaska and diclemente model of change behavior was to show where a patient was in their journey to change certain health behaviors. 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. The theory of change provides the basis for a number of aspects of our work. Using a change theory will help you make changes more smoothly. This manual, created for the casey foundations making connections initiative, defines theory of change using caseys impact, influence and leverage platform, and shows community advocates how. Espa guide to working with theory of change for research projects. You start by creating the motivation to change unfreeze.
This concept was developed as part of the jsrp inception phase report june 2012. Understanding behaviour change how to apply theories 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. Edgar schein provided further detail for a more comprehensive model of. A logic model that is a summary of an underlying theory is a much more powerful tool. Applying a theory of change approach to the evaluation of comprehensive community initiatives. A theory of change explains how activities are understood to produce a series of results that contribute to achieving the final intended impacts.
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. It is also informed by an equally longstanding development practice reflective practice for empowerment and social change. Theory of change is essentially a comprehensive description and illustration of how and why a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context. Lewins threestage model of change2 focuses on the driving forces that facilitate or hinder change, and how those. A theory of change approach to planning and evaluation is increasingly being considered essential practice within social development.
The change theory of nursing was developed by kurt lewin, who is considered the father of social psychology. Satir change model the virginia satir change model focuses not just on systems of people but also on individual people, making it a robust model. Illinois trauma focus model for reducing longterm foster care sonya leathers, ph. Pdf although frequently discussed in the evaluation literature and general agreement on what a theory of change is conceptually, there is. Are certain models more effective than others based on the kind of change. In developing a theory of change, the fi rst step is to develop the impact path way.
Depending on the timing, a theory of change can be used to anticipate what will happen, and establish data collection processes to track changes going forward, or used to make sense of what has happened and the data that have already been collected. Theory of change vs logical framework whats the difference. It reflects more recent experience with the comb model, and clarification of some terms. Theory of change can be both a planning and issueframing tool. Developing a theoryof change logic model for your program w. The range of examples represents how different groups have approached their theory of change thinking. Theories of change toc are vital to evaluation success for a number of reasons. The program cycle is usaids operational model for planning, implementing, assessing, and adapting development programming in a given region or country. The graphic model in theory of change is accompanied by a written narrative that explains the logic of the framework. There is a tension between toc as an externallyimposed and as an internallydriven process. Theory of change helps to build an impactorientation to guide research design.
By developing a theory of change based on good theory, managers can be better assured that their programmes are delivering the right activities for the desired outcomes. 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. He identified and extracted the success factors and combined them into a methodology, the awardwinning 8step process for leading change. Unlike logic models, which are often nothing more than lists of a activities and outcomes, theories of change allow for a focus on the links between activities and outcomes.
A theory of change specifies, up front, how activities will lead to interim and longerterm outcomes and identifies the contextual conditions that may affect them. A logic model that is a summary of an underlying theory is a. Theory of change reference document date theory of change reference document by informing change is licensed under a creative commons attributionnoncommercialnoderivs 3. This is a very important step because the need for change is identified and. Common elements include an articulation of how change happens in a particular context, clarification of an organisations role in. Thus, it can be used to design, monitor and evaluate social change initiatives, including peacebuilding. Only when we add the assumptions to the causal links in the impact pathway do we get a theory of change. Applying a theory of change approach to the evaluation of.
Theory of change page 5 the education sector1 identified four different researchbased theories to inform the evaluation. He theorized a threestage model of change known as unfreezing change refreeze model that requires prior learning to. 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. Lewins change management model is a simple and easytounderstand framework for managing change. The program cycle is how policy gets translated into action and how usaid supports countries on their journey to selfreliance.
A theory of change explains how activities are understood to contribute to a series of results that produce the final intended impacts. Understanding and using the stages of change model continued page 3 of 4 practical matters helping someone move from one stage to another even when someone is nowhere near ready to give up selfinjury, there is a lot a therapist. The model also avoids making humanitarian assistance a standalone area. Theory of change draws on evaluation and social change traditions, combining logical process. Theory of change can be both a planning and issueframing tool and a monitoring and evaluation tool. 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. Th ere are many ways to depict impact pathways and theories of change.
It can be developed for any level of intervention an event, a project, a programme, a policy, a strategy or an organization. Lewins model is one of the most popular approaches, and its easy to see why. Theories of change tocs in international development programming, with. Unfreeze this is the first step in this change theory. Consider the four change management models set out in each of the sample fact sheets. The theory of change planning and reflection cycle i. Espa guide to working with theory of change for research. Change management theories and models john p kotter. It is used primarily in the context of social and humanitarian problems, but it can be used in any context where human efforts intend change such as problems of engineering, policy, or design. 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. It can be helpful to complement theory of change with a process model that shows how the theory of change fits into a larger, more cyclical scheme in which theory leads to action, which leads to monitoring and evaluation, which leads to adjustment of the theory, which leads to the next action, more monitoring and evaluation, and so on.
This webinar goes through upayas indepth approach to scale impact measurement progress out of poverty and logic model aligned toward sdg goal 8 ad sdg goal 1. Theories of change tocs in international development programming, with field. Acrobat writer, you can print to a pdf file for use as an attachment. A theory of change toc outlines how to create that change. Articulating a theory of change at the outset and gaining agreement on it by all stakeholders reduces, but does not eliminate, problems associated with causal attribution of impact. It can help to unite or link the contributions of different sectors and lines of ministry to child protection outcomes. By splitting the change process into three stages you can break a large, unwieldy shift into bitesize chunks which account for both the processes and people in your company. Selecting the best theory to implement planned change. A theory of change can inform the development of a monitoring and evaluation. Applied to evaluation, it can help grant makers and grantees alike know. Throughout the years, this model has been extended to other audiences other than solely health patients. This is a great case study for anyone looking to under indepth logic model or theory of change in practical use. 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.
Pdf on feb 26, 2017, john mayne and others published the comb theory of change model v3 find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Kotters 8step change model implementing change powerfully and successfully change is the only constant. Developing a theory of change keystone accountability. Chen 2015, in chapter 3, makes a similar distinction. You can use different techniques to match your communitys tolerance for planning versus doing. By recognizing these three distinct stages of change, you can plan to implement the change required. 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. In this respect, a theory of change can be thought of as an. Its a way to explain why we fund what we are funding. Created by prosci founder jeff hiatt, adkar is an acronym that represents the five tangible and concrete outcomes that people need to achieve for lasting change.
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