Toolkit Overview:

A theory of change model identifies the pathway or journey to achieving a long-term outcome or goal.  Theory of change models start by identifying the goals or benchmarks that we must achieve along the journey to our long-term outcome.  After identifying the goals that mark the path, we can determine what activities will help us to achieve each of the identified goals. 

Theory of change models are very helpful when approaching a large, strategic goal.  They are very effective when you do not yet know what activities or interventions you want to offer, but instead can identify what you hope to achieve.  Theory of change models also allow us to develop evaluation frameworks that we can then use to guide our work and assess if we have achieved our goals. 

Learning Objectives:

• To understand the purpose and value of using theory of change models in program design.
• To be able to identify the major components of a theory of change model.
• To understand how to implement theory of change models in your work. 
• To understand how to identify the assumptions and potential weaknesses in your program and revise them to strengthen your work.