How can you facilitate a theory of change process with staff and partners?

1 Define the purpose

Before you start the ToC process, you need to clarify why you are doing it and what you hope to achieve. Is it for strategic planning, program design, monitoring and evaluation, fundraising, or communication? Who are the intended users and audiences of the ToC? How will the ToC inform and influence your decisions and actions? Having a clear purpose will help you set the scope, focus, and level of detail of your ToC, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the participants.

2 Engage stakeholders

A ToC is not a solo project, but a collaborative effort that requires the input and feedback of different stakeholders. These may include your staff, board, beneficiaries, donors, partners, experts, and other relevant actors. You need to identify who should be involved in the ToC process, how, and when. You also need to ensure that the stakeholders have a common understanding of the ToC concept, the purpose, and the process. You can use various methods and tools to engage stakeholders, such as workshops, interviews, surveys, focus groups, or online platforms.

3 Map the change

The core of the ToC process is to map the change you want to see and how you plan to contribute to it. This involves identifying and describing the problem or challenge, the long-term vision or impact, the intermediate outcomes, the outputs or deliverables, the activities or interventions, the inputs or resources, the assumptions or beliefs, and the risks or uncertainties. Different formats and visuals such as diagrams, narratives, tables, or matrices can be used to map your ToC. The level of complexity and detail should be adjusted depending on your purpose and audience; however, it should always be clear, coherent, realistic, and evidence-based.

4 Test and refine

Once you have mapped your ToC, you need to test and refine it to ensure its validity and usefulness. Ask yourself and your stakeholders critical questions, such as if the ToC is logical and consistent, based on sound data and research, aligned with mission, vision, and values, responsive to the needs of beneficiaries and donors, feasible within resources and constraints, and flexible to changing contexts. You can also use tools like logic models, theories of action, outcome mapping, or outcome harvesting to test and refine your ToC. Be open to feedback and learning, and willing to make changes as needed.

5 Communicate and use

The final step of the ToC process is to communicate and use your ToC to inform and inspire your internal and external stakeholders. You need to tailor your ToC to different audiences and purposes, and use different channels and formats to convey your message. You can use stories, case studies, infographics, videos, or presentations to illustrate your ToC and showcase your impact. You also need to use your ToC to guide and monitor your strategy, operations, and performance, and to report and evaluate your results and lessons learned. You should review and update your ToC regularly to reflect your learning and progress.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?