This slideshare describes the Theory of Change approach to program planning and design. 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. 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. In our view this makes the Theory of Change approach superior.
4. A Theory of Change explains how a group of early and intermediate
accomplishments sets the stage for producing long-range results.
* The Community Builder’s
Approach to Theory of
Change.
5. A Theory of Change is about the central processes or drivers through which
change comes about for individuals, groups or communities. It can derive from
a formal research-based theory or from an untested, tacit understanding about
how things work.
* Funnell and Rogers.
“Purposeful Program Theory”.
6. A Theory of Change has basic components:
3
Impacts
Strategies
Connections
7. are (obviously) what the program or initiative hopes to accomplish.
Improved health
Lower rates of re-arrest
Increased school attendance
Long-term employment
Less bullying
Impacts
8. are what the program does to bring about the desired impacts.Strategies
10. For example, a program to the reduce incidence and lessen
the impacts of school bullying might include strategies to:
Educate Students
Train Teachers
New School Policies
Provide Counseling
11. There may be several interventionsfor each of these strategies.
For example
12. Educate Students Train Teachers Provide Counseling New School Policies
In-class curriculum
Assembly programs
Publicity
In-service training
Coaching
For victims
For bullies
Rules and sanctions
Better monitoring of
incidents
Improved responsiveness
Interventions
13. In-class curriculumIn-service training
Counseling for bullies Rules and sanctions
Assembly programs
Publicity
Coaching teachers
Counseling for victims
Better monitoring of incidents
Improved responsiveness
Reduce incidents and
lessen the impacts of
school bullying
But how do we relate this to this
?
14. By mapping logical pathways: between activities and outcomes. For example
15. In-class curriculum
Teacher training
Counseling for bullies
Rules and sanctions
Assembly programs
Publicity
Teacher coaching
Counseling for victims
Better monitoring of incidents
Improved responsiveness
Fewer incidents of bullying
Lessened impacts on victims
Improved school climate
Students develop new attitudes
Students feel empowered
16. That was a fairly simple model. It only had two main outcomes
and it included only a few antecedent steps.
22. A Theory of Change is about the central processes or drivers through which
change comes about for individuals, groups or communities. It can be
derived from a formal research-based theory or from an untested, tacit
understanding about how things work.
* Funnell and Rogers.
“Purposeful Program Theory”.
23. A Theory of Change is about the central processes or drivers through which
change comes about for individuals, groups or communities. It can be
derived from a formal research-based theory or from an untested, tacit
understanding about how things work.
31. Incentives (carrots and sticks)
Knowledge about the costs of old behaviors
Knowledge about the benefits of new behaviors
Coaching, modeling and/or mentoring
Case management
Psychotherapy
Here’s a partial list:
Person Focused
33. Theories of change can be based on professional experience, academic
research, sound hypotheses based on prior research or even common sense.
Caution!
34. Creating a TOC model makes it possible to articulate
and therefore scrutinize the theories that underlie
claims about how and why a set of interventions
leads to a set of outcomes.
*
35. Unfortunately, many programs
are based on
Access to a resource Use of that resource
Knowledge Behavior change
Sending a message Communication
Ownership Responsibility
Faulty theories
:
37. Let’s examine the theories behind one element of our bullying program.
38. * This line indicates an assumed
theoretical link between counseling
for bullies and less bullying
behavior. BUT does this connection
make sense?
In-class curriculum
Teacher training
Counseling for bullies
Rules and sanctions
Assembly programs
Publicity
Teacher coaching
Counseling for victims
Better monitoring of incidents
Improved responsiveness
Fewer incidents of bullying
Lessened impacts on victims
Improved school climate
Students develop new attitudes
Students feel empowered
39. What:
Evidence is there that bullies have psychological problems?
Evidence is there that those problems can be reduced with counseling?
Type of counseling is warranted?
Are the possible risks of a counseling approach?
40. And what about dosage? How much counseling does theory suggest?
43. If the theory upon which your program is based makes
sense, then you know you’re doing the right things.
Knowlton and Phillips, The
Logic Model Guidebook
44. Of course in order to be successful, you also
have to do the things right.
Knowlton and Phillips, The
Logic Model Guidebook