your theory of change

Your Theory of Change is your organization's statement as to how your mission will  achieve your vision.

What constitutes an effective Theory of Change?

-Clear causal chains leading to change

-Your inputs, outputs, and outcomes reflect the change

-Explains the underlying assumptions of actions, activities, programs, and portfolios

-Gives explanations to other factors leading to or achieving change

-Gives analysis and context of how change can happen and in what conditions

-Accounts for their contribution to the overall change that they want to see




The theory of change is not:
-About defending the theory or framework itself

-Not about being truistic or being tautological

-Being naïve that your theory of change is unique and never been done somewhere, somehow

-Not learning from lessons of other practitioners, not looking over your shoulder to see what others' have done with the challenges and issues

- Too simplistic, myopic, and mechanistic

- The premise that  we 'don't know the solution yet, so our theory of change is about proving the theory."  Very wrong.


What is your theory of change? Your theory of change says a lot about the quality of the analysis you put in your work and how it makes a difference every day? 

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