Understanding 'Theory of Change' in international development. A review of existing knowledge.
Abstract
This is a review of the concepts and common debates within 바카라 사이트˜Theory of Change바카라 사이트™ (ToC) material, resulting from a search and detailed analysis of available donor, agency and expert guidance documents. The review was undertaken as part of a Justice and Security Research Program (JSRP) and The Asia Foundation (TAF) collaborative project, and focuses on the field of international development. The project will explore the use of Theories of Change (ToCs) in international development programming, with field research commencing in August 2012. While this document will specifically underpin the research of this collaboration, we also hope that it will be of interest to a wider audience of those attempting to come to grips with ToC and its associated literature.
From the literature, we find that there is no consensus on how to define ToC, although it is commonly understood as an articulation of how and why a given intervention will lead to specific change. We identify four main purposes of ToC 바카라 사이트“ strategic planning, description, monitoring and evaluation and learning 바카라 사이트“ although these inevitably overlap. For this reason, we have adopted the term 바카라 사이트˜ToC approaches바카라 사이트™ to identify the range of applications associated with this term. Additionally, we identify some confusion in the terminology associated with ToC. Of particular note is the lack of clarity surrounding the use of the terms 바카라 사이트˜assumption바카라 사이트™ and 바카라 사이트˜evidence바카라 사이트™. Finally, we have also drawn out information on what authors feel makes for ToC 바카라 사이트˜best practice바카라 사이트™ in terms of both content and process, alongside an exploration of the remaining gaps where more clarity is needed.
A number of 바카라 사이트˜key issues바카라 사이트™ are highlighted throughout this review. These points are an attempt to frame the literature reviewed analytically, as informed by the specific focus of the JSRP-TAF collaboration. These issues are varied and include the confusion surrounding ToC definitions and use, the need to 바카라 사이트˜sell바카라 사이트™ a ToC to a funder, how one can know which 바카라 사이트˜level바카라 사이트™ a ToC should operate on, the relationship between ToC and evidence-based policy, and the potential for accuracy, honesty and transparency in the use of ToC approaches.
This paper does not aim to give definitive answers on ToC; indeed there are many remaining important issues that lie beyond the scope of this review. However, in highlighting a number of key issues surrounding current understandings of ToC approaches, this review hopes to pave the way for more constructive and critical discussion of both the concept and practical application of ToCs.
Citation
Stein, D.; Valters, C. Understanding 바카라 사이트˜Theory of Change바카라 사이트™ in international development. A review of existing knowledge. Justice and Security Research Programme, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, UK (2012) 20 pp. [JSRP Paper 1]
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