A theory of change is a description of why a particular way of working will be effective, showing how change happens in the short, medium and long term to achieve the intended impact….

Dewey argued that curriculum should be relevant to students’ lives. He saw learning by doing and development of practical life skills as crucial to children’s education. Some critics assumed that, under Dewey’s system, students would fail to acquire basic academic skills and knowledge.

A Theory of Change can be developed retrospectively by reading program documents, talking to stakeholders, and analyzing data. This is often done during evaluations reflecting what has worked or not in order to understand the past and plan for the future.

The cause of any personal change is rational effort of the individual. Clinical psychology and psychoanalysis reflect this perspective. From the expressivist perspective, each individual has an inner urge to self-actualize which is the cause of change. Humanistic psychology is based on this view.

How to write a Theory of Change

1. Identify the problem you are working to address.
2. Work out what you want to achieve (your long term goal)
3. Walk backwards to get where you want to go!
4. Explain your ‘assumptions’
5. Now work out what out what you will do to achieve your desired outcomes.
6. Draw a line above your area of responsibility.

10 Tried & Tested Change Management Models

• Lewin’s Change Management Model.
• McKinsey 7-S Model.
• Nudge Theory.
• The ADKAR Change Management Model.
• Kübler-Ross Change Curve.
• Bridges’ Transition Model.
• Satir Change Model.
• Kotter’s theory.

Step 1: Clarifying the purpose of M&E For the Department, the primary purpose of M&E is to strengthen effectiveness of MLW’s public and community engagement by supporting learning within the team about gaps and areas for improvement.

It is difficult to trace precisely when the term “theory of change” was first used, but a hint at its origins can be found in the considerable body of theoretical and applied development in the evaluation field, especially among the work of people such as Huey Chen, Peter Rossi, Michael Quinn Patton, and Carol Weiss.

Gather actual values for relevant indicators, % of target achieved, and map to the TOC diagram. Check for (new) interventions not considered in TOC and identify outputs to add to the TOC. Gather information on the status of all assumptions in the TOC, i.e., whether they are true, and any changes to context….

A theory of change is a purposeful model of how an initiative—such as a policy, a strategy, a program, or a project—contributes through a chain of early and intermediate outcomes to the intended result. Theories of change help navigate the complexity of social change….

Scientific theories are created through the process of the scientific method. Observation and research lead to a hypothesis, which is then tested. Over time, a hypothesis can become a scientific theory if it continues to be supported by additional research….

To develop a theory, you’ll need to follow the scientific method. First, make measurable predictions about why or how something works. Then, test those predictions with a controlled experiment, and objectively conclude whether or not the results confirm the hypotheses.

Theories of change can drive programs as well as people. A program seeking to effect change or reform often tacitly reflects the theories of change of the program’s designers. Theories of change matter because they are usually implicit, and what remains unseen cannot be questioned….

Assumptions Assumptions are the necessary conditions for change, or the “underlying conditions or resources that need to exist for planned change to occur”. Risks Potential impacts of the programme that may undermine its success.

A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. Assumption is information not stated in the argument that has to be true in order for the argument’s logic to hold. Steps in identifying assumptions: Identify the conclusion of the argument. Identify what is stated in the author’s reasoning.

Assumptions of the theory. Assumptions are statements accepted as given truths without proof. In order to use a theory, the assumptions must be accepted by the user. Assumptions set the foundation for the application of a particular theory.