Examples of community change initiative theories of action, which are different from theories of change. 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. The change theory of nursing was developed by kurt lewin, who is considered the father of social psychology. Excerpt a theory of change explains how activities are understood to produce a series of results that contribute to achieving the final intended impacts. Amanda shepard, advisory panel coordinator consultant uk paul farthing consultant uk nick mason consultant uk meredith niles marie curie cancer care uk.
The development of a theory of change will usually take place in a workshop with managers, programme staff and some key external stakeholders. Espa guide to working with theory of change for research projects. A theory of change focuses on explaining how and why the desired change is expected to come about. Theory of change is a structured process to help develop a description of how research links to development outcomes. Use of theory of change in project evaluations 1 introduction what is a theory of change. These are examples of logic models that other people have found effective. These two paradigms are particularly useful in the areas of organizational intelligence, organizational design, knowledge management, and corporate strategy, to mention but a few. Th e article discusses three possible useful versions of a theory of change, discusses simplifying the models. 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. Useful theory of change models canadian evaluation society. A theory of change is about the central processes or drivers through which change comes about for individuals, groups or communities.
Th ere are many ways to depict impact pathways and theories of change. 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. Specifying the causal mechanisms transforms a logic model into a theory of change. Social change introduction introduction to social change. Outcomes in a theory of change represent changes in condition of some kind whether a policy, law, behavior, attitude, knowledge, state of the environment among people, institutions, and environments. A theory of change is relevant for all parts of a project planning, monitoringimplementation, and evaluation.
However, a theory of change approach may be able to create a. It shows a chain of events leading from the things you can control the most your design to the things you control the least other peoples behaviors. Outcomes are the building blocks of a theory of change. When british telecom was privatized, top management decided to completely restructure the. Some good examples of using theories of change, especially in a. There are seven stages in this theory and they are diagnose the problem, assess. A practical tool for action, results and learning introduction there is nothing as practical as good theory. Models for more complex multifaceted interventions are then presented, along with a discussion of nested theories of change. Theory of change page 5 the education sector1 identified four different researchbased theories to inform the evaluation. Theory of change reference document by informing change is licensed under a. You start by creating the motivation to change unfreeze. Originally it was used and intended for social psychology studies.
A theory of change explains how activities are understood to contribute to a series of results that produce the final intended impacts. Programs focus on preparing fivers for the critical transitions into middle school, into high school, into college and into careers. Theory of change task group development of this theory of change was initially led by a working part of rogares international advisory panel comprising. Theories of change are often used for single programs like this. Nov 20, 2015 the paper highlights throughout examples of the organisational use of theories of change, each of which attempts to go some way towards addressing the criticisms of the approach to date. Selecting the best theory to implement planned change. 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. Th eories of change are models of how change is expected to happen ex ante case or how change has happened ex postcase. This theory was first suggested by saul kripke 1972 as an alternative to the then dominant descriptive theories of reference of proper names and was extended by putnam 1973. Using examples from ongoing work with urban school districts, the authors begin from the idea that a theory of change approach a. Thus, it can be used to design, monitor and evaluate social change initiatives, including peacebuilding. Guided example roject superwomen theory of change community. There are different ways of developing and representing a theory of change.
The theory of change model reflects all contributions of the organization for delivery of results, including staff members efforts and financial resources. Forces for change are a recurring feature of school life. Theory of change draws on evaluation and social change traditions, combining logical process. A theory of change explains how a group of early and intermediate accomplishments sets the stage for producing longrange results. Questions about change can be posed directly, as when we wonder whether religious observance is declining in america, or try to explain why large corporations. Developing a theory of change keystone accountability. Theory of change defines longterm goals and then maps backward to identify necessary preconditions. 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. Characteristics of where an organization is in its developmental. This document provides examples of theories of change of different types. So said harvard researcher carol weiss in her advice to communities engaged in ambitious transformation efforts. 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. An answer to this disastrous historyfed argument was the development of a causal theory of reference, which allows for referential continuity in theorychange.
The different ways a theory of change can be used evaluation, strategic planning, fund raising. The range of examples represents how different groups have approached their theory of change thinking. These are examples of the theory of change developed by the hunger project for its work in general and for its program in africa. However, a strength of the theory of change approach is that it can be used for initiatives that may comprise many programs and partners. He theorized a threestage model of change known as unfreezingchangerefreeze model. There is a human tendency to resist change, because it forces people to adopt new ways of doing things. Because change takes time, successes are not always recognized when they occur. You move through the change process by promoting effective communications and empowering. 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. Please note, however, that no other persons or groups logic model can serve as template for your own.
Systems theory, complexity theory, organizational change, and organizational transformation introduction. It can be developed for any level of intervention an event, a project, a programme, a policy, a strategy or an organization. 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. It is a part of a participatory and rigorous process of planning, evaluation, ongoing adaptation. In order to cope with this recurring problem, school leaders must. Lewins theory states behavior as a dynamic balance of forces working in opposing directions. It provides guildelines for the time and resources required for each activity. Every project has a single, clear theory of change on which activities are based. How a theory of change helps define and prioritize strategies needed to achieve results. Theory of change statement theory of change statement if girls and boys receive prevention and response services for violence against children, including gender based violence, and if girls receive prevention and care to address harmful practices such as fgmc and child marriage, and if girls and.
Kurt lewin theorized a threestage model of change that is known as the unfreezingchangerefreeze model that requires prior learning to be rejected and replaced. Lewins change management model is a simple and easytounderstand framework for managing change. The theory of change model is a mapa visual illustration of how steps in a process link to one another and how actions in the shape of designed interventions drive change. A theory of change approach can sharpen the planning and implementation of an initiative. 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. By recognizing these three distinct stages of change, you can plan to implement the change required. There is no perfect example, as all theories of change should vary depending on the views of those involved. Originally, force field analysis is an attempt at looking at all the factors that can happen in an event. This is a very recent example of a theory of change developed by fiver childrens foundation with actknowledge, which provide a key foundation for evaluation, communication, planning, organization and staff development. A theory of change can be developed for an intervention. This paper complements the strategic plan by elaborating the broad theory of change.
Kurt lewin theorized a threestage model of change that is known as the unfreezing change refreeze model that requires prior learning to be rejected and replaced. Developing a theoryof change logic model for your program w. Theory of change helps to build an impactorientation to guide research design. Used during the design phase, it increases the likelihood that stakeholders will have clearly specified the initiatives intended outcomes, the activities that need to be implemented in order to. Supporting delivery on results and change strategies are four organizational performance enablers of greater efficiency, professionalism and ethics in the leadership, management and. Driving forces are forces that push in a direction that causes change to occur. A theory of change is an organizations theory or story of how it will make change in the world. Sep 01, 2016 jan brouwers of the centre for development innovation explains theory of change and discusses its potential uses and benefits for strategic thinking to address complex challenges.
There is no perfect example, as all theories of change should vary depending on the views of those. Chen 2015, in chapter 3, makes a similar distinction. A theory of change models outcomes in an outcomes pathway. The theory of change is a foundation of mission, vision, impact statement. Explicitly describing a theory of change is an optional step in the proposal development process. Applying a theory of change approach to the evaluation of. Pdf although frequently discussed in the evaluation literature and. He theorized a threestage model of change known as unfreezing change refreeze model that requires prior learning to be rejected and replaced. First, creating a theory of change raises new questions for stakeholders to consider while developing a strategic plan or evaluation. Examples of community change initiative theories of action, which are. 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. 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. It tries to uncover the reasons how something is triggered.
Chris gains, lead sopact trainer explains step by step theory of change with examples. Applied to evaluation, it can help grant makers and grantees alike know. It also analyses possibilities for taking these principles forward in light of the results agenda. Theory of change explains the process of change by. It is also inevitable that change will be resisted, at least to some extent by both school leaders and staff. In particular, you will use the information presented in the gray text boxes that follow about the mytown example program to determine what theoryofchange was used to design and develop this program. Lippitts change theory is based on bringing in an external change agent to put a plan in place to effect change. Its a way to explain why we fund what we are funding. Download pdf the hunger project 2011 these are examples of the theory of change developed by the hunger project for. Realism and theory change in science stanford encyclopedia. The 100th monkey theory a story about social change by ken keyes jr.
The japanese monkey, macaca fuscata, had been observed in the wild. We propose a theorydriven approach to the design and evaluation of complex interventions by adapting and integrating a programmatic design and evaluation tool, theory of change toc, into the mrc framework for complex interventions. The community builders approach to theory of change. A theory of change is a strategic overview of the multiple activities required to produce the short and medium term outcomes which need to occur to reach the long term outcome. Theory of change paper, unicef strategic plan, 2018 2021. How to apply lippitts theory of change in nursing synonym.