power_of_theories_of_change

Power_of_Theories_of_Change

Improving the lives of disadvantaged populations—whether through better schools, after-school programs, or teen pregnancy prevention clinics—requires proven theories of change. The very development of a field depends on their diffusion, replication, critique, and modification. Yet some organizations refuse to articulate a theory of change and some funders think it would be intrusive to demand that they do so. The interests of all concerned are served by a developmental approach to creating and evaluating theories of change.

This brief reveals the need for Theories of Change in every aspect of a programme or project be it on poverty alleviation of disadvantaged people or teenage pregnancy prevention pogrammes.

The power of Theories of Change

Achieving coherence and integration across staff professional development activities is facilitated when training, coaching and staff evaluation are guided by a clearly articulated program theory or “theory of change” that describes how skillful practice promotes desired outcomes. We focus on a theory of change for wraparound, a widely implemented approach to providing community-based care for children with high levels of mental health and related needs. Training, coaching and staff evaluation efforts within wraparound programs have typically been linked only very loosely to theory. We argue that wraparound’s unique history allowed it to evolve with limited theoretical grounding, and we then describe a theory of change for wraparound, focusing on the major causal routes that are hypothesized to lead to outcomes. Finally, we provide an extended illustration of how the theory can provide the basis for a coherent and integrated approach to developing the skills and capacities of staff members playing key roles in wraparound implementation.

This paper provides an illustration of how Theory of Change can provide a basis for a coherent and integrated approach to developing skills and capacities of staff implementing a project.

Using a Theory of Change to drive human resource development for wraparound

progr_theroyc1_presentation

progr_theroyC1_presentation

This presentation looks at various aspects of a theory of change, and addresses the question: what constitutes a systemic approach to evaluation? It also highlights aspects of complicated and complex situations and interventions with potentially important implications for evaluation. It then looks at examples in relation to how these aspects can be addressed in a program theory. It concludes with a discussion.

This is a brief poster presentation by Patricia Rogers that highlights on aspects of Theory of Change to consider especially for evaluation purposes. It also offers discussions and recommendations that would be useful to adopt.