3ie Grantees Communication

for Policy Influence Clinic

Negombo 16th – 18th July 2012
 Theory of Change
An on-going process of reflection
• to explore change and how it happens
• and what that means for the part we
play in a particular context or sector
 Agenda for the session

• Presentations from participants (25 minutes)

• Some more on theory of change (15 minutes)
• A group exercise to develop a theory of change (45
minutes)
• LUNCH (think about implications for own PiPs)
• Feedback after lunch (30 minutes)
 Presentations by participants

• Smitri and Rithambhara: The Impact Of Mother's

Literacy And Participation Programs On Child Learning
and Discussion
• Shahid: Index insurance in Gujarat
 Where has it come from

• People have long explored theories of social change

• Evaluators pushing for more explicit analysis of how
change happens
• Increasing pressure from donors to articulate long
term impact
• NGOs and research organisations encouraged to focus
on change beyond activity

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 What are the benefits?

1. Common understanding
2. Clarity and effectiveness
3. Monitoring and evaluation
4. Partnership
5. Organisational development
6. Reporting framework
7. Empowerment

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 A good theory of change process…

• Think openly about how change happens

• Draw on wider learning from many others
• Change and actor focussed not just activities and
outputs
• Acknowledge that not everything can be captured
• Based on on-going learning

7 Source:
 A good theory of change process…
Goal (Beneficiaries)

Obj

• Covers:
ecti
Purpose (Policy Influencing Objectives)
ves

– Context for change

– Organisational contribution to change
Output N

– Application of theory of change

Output 1 Output 2 Output 3
Actions of actors not
DFID Target or audience Target or audience
targeted by DFID

• Articulated using diagram or narrative

• Work out the implications for project and organisation
Activities A-Z from
Stra other actors Activities A-Z from
tegy other actors
Approaches or Activities 1 Activities 2

Management, inputs

Project Management (Budget, HR, Organisational Practices)

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 Tools to develop theory of change
External Influences
Socio-economic and
cultural influences,
donor policies etc
The links between policy
and research communities –
networks, relationships,
power, competing
discourses, trust, knowledge
etc.
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The political context – political
and economic structures and
processes, culture, institutional
pressures, incremental vs radical
change etc.
The evidence – credibility,
the degree it challenges
received wisdom, research
approaches and methodology,
simplicity of the message, how
it is packaged etc
 Short exercise

10
 Exercise

• Each table, 1 policymaker and researcher counterpart

to volunteer
• Policymaker will map out channels
• Researcher will ask questions
• Others ask questions and discuss
• Think about the implications of this for your own
policy influencing plans
(45 minutes)
 Feedback

• What were the results from the exercise?

• What lessons are there from doing it?
• Has this exercise helped you to review your own
policy influencing plans
• Do you have any emerging ideas for evolving them, or
for applying the theory of change approach more
systematically as you develop them?

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reduce poverty by locking together high-quality
applied research and practical policy advice.

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