Theory of Change Workshop Bistandstorget February 2012

1. Theory of Change Workshop Bistandstorget February 2012 Contact INTRAC Training: Telephone: +44 (0)1865 263055 Website: www.intrac.org Email: training@intrac.orgTwitter: #INTRAC_UK

2. Learning Outcomes By the end of this workshop, you will : • Be able to describe what Theories of Change involve and include and the rationale for using them • Be able to identify how and when they should be developed and how they inform and complement other planning and M&E tools • Have increased confidence in working through the steps and processes involved in developing Theories of Change at programme level • Have explored ways to facilitate the development of Theories of Change within your own organisations and/or with partner organisations • Have developed an action plan for applying the learning from the workshop

3. What is a Theory of Change? As it says! • An ongoing process of reflection to explore change and how it happens – and what that means for the part we play in a particular context, sector and/or group of people: • It considers a programme or project within a wider analysis of how change comes about. • It makes us explain our understanding of change – but also challenges us to explore it further. • It is often presented in diagrammatic form with an accompanying narrative summary” • The focus is on what we think will change, not on what we plan to do.

4. Origins of Theory of Change Current interest Theories of social change Complex evaluations Dissatisfaction with logframes Lack of clear frameworks to assess programmes Questioning the assumptions behind development thinking More complex, systemic, network approaches Increased demand for showing impact Lack of connection between desired outcomes and activities Freire: ‘theory in use’ Need for focus in programmes

5. Four Interconnecting Elements

6. Element 1: How Change Happens Big Picture thinking • “How Change Happens” in relation to issues and problems that your organisation or programme seeks to address. • This thinking goes beyond your own intervention and considers all aspects of addressing identified issues

7. Element 2: Your Organisational/ Programme Change Pathway • This relates directly to your understanding of how change happens (first component) • It describes in detail your unique ways of understanding and addressing these issues, including: • Who you work with • How you work with them • To achieve or influence what changes • The assumptions that you have made in designing this pathway

8. Element 3: Impact Assessment Framework • This is informed by both of the components above • It provides a robust way of understanding and reporting on your organisation(programme)’s contribution to change • It enables you to test and adapt your Theory of Change

9. Element 4: Reflection and adaptation of your Theory of Change • The result of evaluations and impact assessments will provide the information you need to reflect on your ToC: • Did we work with the right people? • In the right way? • To what extent were our assumptions valid? • Did we negotiate barriers and facilitating factors effectively • To what extent did we achieve or influence the changes we planned? • What does this tell us about how change happens and our change pathway?

10. How do they complement other planning and M&E processes? • Strategic plans? • Log frames? • M&E systems? • Learning loops?

11. What is a ToC? Change?

12. How they are being used

13. When to develop them? • Works best if there is an opportune moment ( resources and the need to reflect): • In preparation for new strategic plan • Applying for new grant • To inform an evaluation or impact assessment • Note: very few organisations develop the whole process in one go ( if ever!)

14. Carrying Out a Theory of Change Process

15. Note of Caution If you skip the process part, the ToC becomes yet another head office driven paper exercise.... Its not worth doing!!

16. What do they look like? • No one answer… • Can be… 2-5 pages in length with a short narrative followed by a diagram. • All sorts of shapes and illustrations • They need to be able to illustrate your organisational (or programme) pathway to change, and the links and assumptions that you are making in choosing this path See examples

17. In your groups... • Share your own experiences of developing and using Theories of Change • Discuss: • advantages they might they bring • challenges/questions and doubts about developing and using them See handouts for more information

18. Advantages: what partner organisations have said:

19. Some challenges Balancing learning and accountability • Continuing the learning and reflection Reconciling it with other organisational processes Keeping it simple but valid Finding a skilled facilitator Adapting process to content

20. Session 2 Taster Session: How Change Happens Contact INTRAC Training: Telephone: +44 (0)1865 263055 Website: www.intrac.org Email: training@intrac.orgTwitter: #INTRAC_UK

21. Element 1: How Change Happens Big Picture thinking • “How Change Happens” in relation to issues and problems that your organisation or programme seeks to address. • This thinking goes beyond your own intervention and considers all aspects of addressing identified issues

22. Example workshop exercise • Rights and Empowerment Programmes for girls in India.. • A way of enabling a wide group of stakeholders to think about and contribute their understanding of how change might happen for these girls

23. A little context.. The word "Dalit" comes from the Sanskrit, and means "ground", "suppressed", "crushed", or "broken to pieces". It was first used in the nineteenth century, in the context of the oppression faced by the "untouchable" castes of Hindus.

24. For a Dalit girl aged around 12, this might mean • Not attending school • No outside mobility / restricted to home / move only with elders to neighbourhood • Totally engaged in care of younger siblings /household chores • No time for play • No personal choices on even basic issues like clothes to wear, friends to make • Discrimination against boy child even on issues of food, health care, clothing • Remain silent on hearing abusive comments • Afraid of going to communities of dominant groups •  …..

25. Task in small groups: • Agree a “vision of success” in relation to girls in this community • If all issues and problems and their underlying causes were successfully addressed in relation to rights and empowerment for these girls, what would this look like? Be quite specific – write a sentence of no more than 25 words which outlines what changes you expect to see for whom (I have developed one to speed up the process!)

26. 2. Understand and agree the key success factors would need to be in place to ensure that this vision could become a reality: • List up to five key success factors that would need to be in place to ensure that this vision could become a reality. For each success factor, be specific about what should be in place and who should be involved. Note: Think beyond your own organisational strategy – think politics, economics, social relations etc).

28. Different ways of understanding how change happens More academic approach Ensure wide consultation and buy in what ever you do More PRA approach

29. Developing an Organisational or Programme Change Pathway Session 3 Contact INTRAC Training: Telephone: +44 (0)1865 263055 Website: www.intrac.org Email: training@intrac.orgTwitter: #INTRAC_UK

30. Element 2: Your Organisational/ Programme Change Pathway • This relates directly to your understanding of how change happens (first component) • It describes in detail your unique ways of understanding and addressing these issues, including: • Who you work with • How you work with them • To achieve or influence what changes • The assumptions that you have made in designing this pathway

31. Three different organisations • A campaigning organisation based in the UK, working mostly at national and international levels • A small community based organisation working directly with children and their communities • An international NGO with a specific focus on education working through partner organisations

32. Developing the Change Pathway Step 1 • Review the first exercise: • Identify which areas of change your organisation or programme can influence • Directly? • Indirectly (other factors/ organisations will also influence these changes? • Which areas of change beyond the scope of your organisation or programme?

33. Developing the Change Pathway Step 2: Based on this understanding, discuss and agree: • Who do you plan to work with (which target groups)? • How do you plan to work with each of these different groups? • What short and medium term changes (for these different groups) you hope to achieve or influence as a result of these efforts? • How do all of these factors link together (what leads to what? Who influences whom?)? • What are your assumptions in choosing this particular pathway (why this pathway rather than another one)?

34. Suggested method for developing chart Use post its for all statements ! • Clarify and write up overall goal (place on far right) • Identify and write up your high level strategies (what you do with whom) –one per post it. Place in a line on the left side • Create “ so that” chains..by doing xxx we will achieve xxx ( change) in the short term which will lead to xxx (change) Write these up • Link strategies with short term outcomes and goals (place post its on chart and link with arrows) • Test the logic - does it work? • Articulate your assumptions ( either on chart or attached)

35. Example of a change pathway

36. EFL IMPACT PATHWAY Encourages role models in the community Capacity Building with satellite teams • Contributes to : • Reduced prevalence of HIV • 2.Improvements in: • Health • Relationships within families • Child care • School performance • Self esteem and survival skills Contributes to: changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of EFL target groups Inspires and motivates people to become skilled BCP facilitators Contributes to: improved quality of life of target groups Behaviour Change Process Training programmes         EFL Informs and influences decision makers at all levels Media and Advocacy Initiatives P Psychosocial support for Orphans and Vulnerable children Direct sphere of influence Indirect sphere of influence

37. Assessing the impact of our efforts Session 4 Contact INTRAC Training: Telephone: +44 (0)1865 263055 Website: www.intrac.org Email: training@intrac.orgTwitter: #INTRAC_UK

38. Element 3: Impact Assessment Framework • This is informed by both of the components above • It provides a robust way of understanding and reporting on your organisation(programme)’s contribution to change • It enables you to test and adapt your Theory of Change

39. Impact Assessment - definition “The systematic analysis of significant and/or lasting change – positive or negative, intended or not – in the lives of target groups, brought about by a given action or a series of actions” It explores and answers the most important question of all: So what actually changed?

40. Why Assess Impact • To understand the implications of our work • To become more accountable to those we work with (stakeholders) • To support institutional learning and decision making and improve future work • To contribute to policy development and effective advocacy • To help demonstrate organisational performance

41. Impact assessment framework • Focus on the articulated changes at all levels • Consider and report on five key questions: • What has changed (positive/ negative/intended or not)? • For whom? • How significant is this? • What if anything did our organisation/programme contribute?

42. The differences - in brief

43. Domains of Change Framework for Empowerment and rights 2 Changes in Governments and non state actors[1] willingness and ability to deliver on their responsibilities for most marginalised people 5 Changes in individual self confidence and self efficacy 1 Changes in the ability of marginalised women and men to access and enjoy their full human rights 3 Changes in civil society organisations’ capacity to support marginalized groups to claim their rights 4 Changes in ability and collaboration of marginalised groups in fighting inequality and claiming rights [1] Non state actors includes the private/ corporate sector and international organisations

47. Day 2 Contact INTRAC Training: Telephone: +44 (0)1865 263055 Website: www.intrac.org Email: training@intrac.orgTwitter: #INTRAC_UK

48. ToC - Four Interconnecting Elements

49. What is a ToC? Change?

50. Reflection and Questions Think about the different elements and processes that we covered yesterday: • What did you find most interesting/useful about each element? • Any questions? Areas where you would like further discussion or clarity?