3ie Grantees Communication
for Policy Influence Clinic
Negombo 16th – 18th July 2012
Theory of Change
An on-going process of reflection
• to explore change and how it happens
• and what that means for the part we
play in a particular context or sector
Agenda for the session
• Presentations from participants (25 minutes)
• Some more on theory of change (15 minutes)
• A group exercise to develop a theory of change (45
minutes)
• LUNCH (think about implications for own PiPs)
• Feedback after lunch (30 minutes)
Presentations by participants
• Smitri and Rithambhara: The Impact Of Mother's
Literacy And Participation Programs On Child Learning
and Discussion
• Shahid: Index insurance in Gujarat
Where has it come from
• People have long explored theories of social change
• Evaluators pushing for more explicit analysis of how
change happens
• Increasing pressure from donors to articulate long
term impact
• NGOs and research organisations encouraged to focus
on change beyond activity
5
What are the benefits?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
6
Common understanding
Clarity and effectiveness
Monitoring and evaluation
Partnership
Organisational development
Reporting framework
Empowerment
A good theory of change process…
• Think openly about how change happens
• Draw on wider learning from many others
• Change and actor focussed not just activities and
outputs
• Acknowledge that not everything can be captured
• Based on on-going learning
7
Source:
A good theory of change process…
Goal (Beneficiaries)
Obj
ecti
ves
Purpose (Policy Influencing Objectives)
• Covers:
– Context for change
– Organisational contribution to change
Output N
Output 1
Output 2
Output 3
Actions of actors not
DFID
Target or
audience
Target or audience
– Application
of theory
of
change
targeted by DFID
• Articulated using diagram or narrative
• Work out the implications for project and organisation
Stra
tegy
Activities A-Z from
other actors
Activities A-Z from
other actors
Approaches or Activities 1
Activities 2
Management, inputs
Project Management (Budget, HR, Organisational Practices)
8
Tools to develop theory of change
External Influences
Socio-economic and
cultural influences,
donor policies etc
The links between policy
and research communities –
networks, relationships,
power, competing
discourses, trust, knowledge
etc.
9
The political context – political
and economic structures and
processes, culture, institutional
pressures, incremental vs radical
change etc.
The evidence – credibility,
the degree it challenges
received wisdom, research
approaches and methodology,
simplicity of the message, how
it is packaged etc
Short exercise
10
Exercise
• Each table, 1 policymaker and researcher counterpart
to volunteer
• Policymaker will map out channels
• Researcher will ask questions
• Others ask questions and discuss
• Think about the implications of this for your own
policy influencing plans
(45 minutes)
Feedback
• What were the results from the exercise?
• What lessons are there from doing it?
• Has this exercise helped you to review your own
policy influencing plans
• Do you have any emerging ideas for evolving them, or
for applying the theory of change approach more
systematically as you develop them?
12
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