This article discusses six major pitfalls that, if avoided, can help create actionable Theories of Change:
<ul>
<li>Confusing accountability with hope</li>
<li>Creating a mirror instead of a target</li>
<li>Failing to take the external context into account</li>
<li>Not confirming the plausibility of your theory</li>
<li>Creating a theory that isn’t measurable</li>
<li>Assuming you’ve figured it all out</li>
</ul>

This article discusses six major pitfalls that, if avoided, can help create actionable Theories of Change.

Six Theory of Change pitfalls to avoid

theory-of-change-workbook-nmc-v1-18aug14

Theory of change-WORKBOOK-NMC v1-18Aug14

Developing a Theory of Change is an important process in developing a solution to complex problems, particularly when many different people, with different backgrounds and expectations, are involved.
This document presents a simplified process for developing a Theory of Change, targeting disparate and separated people and institutions interested in being a part of a ‘Northern Mozambique Channel’ programme or initiative. The goal is to go through the pages and write down your own versions of the text presented:
<ul>
<li>the overall vision,</li>
<li>your vision of success,</li>
<li>how you think that success will be achieved in each of the main pillars of the programme, and thereby to the programme as a whole,</li>
<li>key intermediate (10 year) outcomes that we should be targeting through the projects, activities and short term outcomes we might implement in the next 3-5 years.</li>
</ul>
More information about the program can be found <a href="http://cordioea.net/the-northern-mozambique-channel-initiative/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

This document presents a simplified process for developing a Theory of Change. It was developed by and for a program in Northern Mozambique.

Developing a Theory of Change for the Northern Mozambique Channel

An instructional video taking you through some methodologies to develop a Theory of Change to guide the activities and evaluation of your social progamme/intervention. This video forms part of other resources offered on our Growing Confidence website (<a href="http://www.dgmt-growingconfidence.co.za" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.dgmt-growingconfidence.co.za</a>) which is aimed at assisting non-profit organisations to develop their monitoring and evaluation systems.
<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/7syACRQ_kJ0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

An instructional video taking you through some methodologies to develop a Theory of Change to guide the activities and evaluation of your social progamme/intervention.