When Is Theory of Change the Best Approach?

It’s inevitable that groups working together on an issue will have different ideas about what the cause of that problem is and how best to solve it. This is especially true when the problem is complex. Such differences in thinking can thwart group efforts to address an issue. This is why it’s important for groups to agree on a final vision and how they think they’re going to get there up front.

The theory of change is an approach to thinking about what’s required to bring about a desired effect. This method is most useful when dealing with a multifaceted issue. Creating a theory of change involves plotting a roadmap—a pathway of change—to determine indicators that can be used along way to evaluate the effectiveness of taken actions. This is useful because it requires justifying how and why planned interventions are going to lead to each needed change.

Plotting the pathway of change is a valuable experience in and of itself, as it’s a good way to bring out assumptions. Assumptions can differ even if stakeholders are on the same side of an issue. Going through the process of mapping out the different changes that must occur will make clear each participant’s views on the issue. Once these opinions are out in the open, it’s necessary to decide on a shared course and end goal.

Without a roadmap, misunderstandings are bound to crop up. You may go through a project and have one group deem it a success because A, B and C were accomplished. On the flipside, another group may label the whole thing a failure because the team failed to address D, E and F.

It’s important to remember that a roadmap must never be set in stone. Rather, it should be used to guide learning and understanding. The endpoint may remain the same, but the road taken there could well change. Altering your roadmap isn’t a bad thing; it simply means you’re learning as you go along.