Section 2.

Around the world, social programs are delivered with fixed goals. These goals are mostly to impact the
social state of the society (Case, 2018). Organizations that offer these programs target the social evils
that pervade the society. They introduce specific programs into the society to cause a transformation.
One area that these programs have targeted frequently is in the control of the behavior of youth in the
society. Lately, there has been a rise in the number of social organizations that target the welfare of the
youth specifically. All these programs intend to cause a shift in the experience and lives of the youth.
Theories of change give a better understanding of these operations and their likelihood of success.

According to Ghate (2018), theories of change are “planned routes to outcomes”. They discuss the
principles and values that are used to carry out community policies with an end- target. These theories
are used to develop, manage, and evaluate social programs. Various scholars see them as containing
assumptions that are responsible for the realization of change in the society (Ghate, 2018). They identify
the needs, outputs and outcomes of processes that are responsible for change. In needs, the theories
identify the problems that are there in the society. In a bid to address these problems, the theories
propose output. Output is what can be done to address the already identified problems. Lastly, the
outputs are expected to yield results. These results are the outcomes.

To effectively carry out social change, the organizations responsible have to develop an open mindset. In
addition to that, these organizations have to be courageous in their quest to exact an influence in a
society which, in this case, has elements of error (Ghate, 2018). It follows; change is not a one- time
event. It occurs gradually. With a constant concerted effort towards the achievement of the desired
outcome, social interventions realize their intention to cause a shift in the order of the community for
the better. To ensure the effectiveness of programs of change, there must be mechanisms for measuring
change. It is important to note that there is no specific theory of change that is better than the other. All
of them are best suited for their intentions. The Ansar Youth Project (Hereinafter, A.Y.P), is an example
of an institution which seeks to effect change in the conduct and experiences of the youth in the society.
It is the purpose of this research to identify the theory of change model used by A.Y.P to achieve its
objective.

The Equilibrium Theory.

The equilibrium theory suggests that to have a change in the society, several adjustments have to be
made to the society (Karl Dieter Opp and - Reinhard Wippler, 2018). This theory is a product of the
functionalist school of thought. Functionalists believe that the society is in a constant state of balance
and that all components work in synergy. The equilibrium theory on the other hand, shifts its focus on
the dynamics of the society. It probes the behavior of the building blocks of the society in response to
any shift of the balance. In a job scenario, for instance, change is observed when an organization
changes its staff over time depending on the existing circumstances. For example, more staff are hired
when business is budding.
Essentially, the equilibrium theory focuses on the tendency of the systems in the society to respond to a
disturbance in the equilibrium (Karl-Dieter Opp and Reinhard Wippler, 2018). It is worth noting that no
society is capable of achieving a perfect state of equilibrium. There will, at all times, be variants in the
society which we just have to put up with. For example, the advancement of Information
Communication technology has brought many changes to the society. It would be pointless, even
irrational, to attempt fighting technology. It follows; the perfect equilibrium only serves as the ideal for
all societies. It is the reference point for societal interventions.

According to this theory, several factors affect the equilibrium of the society. Modernity, for example,
has brought about differences in the lives of people. In most cases, it has caused societies to shift from
the traditional view of life. As a result of modernism, individuals focus more on themselves and not on
the community as was the case before. With the increase in technology, many sectors of the community
shift their operations to fit in this new era. Importantly, social change need not be seen negatively.
Systems may be put in place to change a bad environment.

The role of Non-governmental organizations in effecting change.

The world has seen a rapid rise in non- governmental organizations that aim at changing the status quo
in the society (Case, 2018). They cover all sectors in the society. In most cases, N.G.Os focus on areas
that have not been effectively covered by the local institutions of governance. For example, many
N.G.Os are found in the health sector, to address the needs of the part of the society that cannot access
health care for cost reasons, or otherwise. An example of such an organization is the Ansar Youth
Project.

The A.Y.P uses the equilibrium theory to address the need for change in the conduct of the youth in the
society. It targets the youth and children in vulnerable communities. The project is alive to the fact that
the contemporary society is harmful to the development of the youth. The snare of drug abuse and
crime are more accessible now than they were before. Therefore, A.Y.P seeks to bring change by shifting
the attention of the youth from the corrupt environment, and towards better lifestyles. To achieve this
result, A.Y.P recognizes the inherent gifts and talents of the youth. It harnesses the individual
capabilities of the youth to make them valuable members of the society.

An enthusiastic staff carries out the duties of the A.Y.P. It draws its staff from a team of individuals who
are resolved to address the lives of the youth. Through role modelling, these social workers have a
lasting impact on the lives of the youth. They come up with activities for the youth. These include
workshops, and other social activities such as games. When the minds of these children are engaged in
these activities, most likely they will not join in the bad practices. Besides offering such activities, A.Y.P
also provides counselling programs for disturbed youths. These program helps them to fully develop
their mental capacities. In the long run, A.Y.P seeks to effect a response to the shift of the standards of
lives of the youths.

Conclusion.

Change is inevitable in the society around us. Every institution has mechanisms of adapting to change.
Theories of change help in understanding these mechanisms. Proponents of the equilibrium theory of
change view the society, as a complete system with many parts. When one of the components of the
society experiences a shift from the norm, all the rest must also move either towards or against the
change. As a result of this, the equilibrium of the society shall always be stable.

The A.Y.P is an example of an organization that uses the concept of change to address its objective. It
responds to the need to have a positive adjustment in the lives of the youth, to help them avoid bad
influence. In conclusion, individuals and organizations in the society should respond positively to
change, to make the best out of it.
Reference

Ghate, D. (2018). Developing theories of change for social programmes: co-

producing evidence-supported quality improvement. Palgrave Communications,
[online] 4(1). Available at: https://rdcu.be/b4ur8 [Accessed 29 May 2020].

Case, P. (2018). Prison Vocational Education and Policy in the United States: A Critical
Perspective on Evidence-Based Reform. Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of
Reviews, 47(5), pp.580–581.

Karl-Dieter Opp and Reinhard Wippler (2018). Social Institutions. Hawthorne

Routledge.