Theory of Change
In charities and other social purpose organisations, a “theory of change” is a rather dull term to refer to something pretty fundamental: how your organisation sets out to make a difference in the world. You might prefer to refer to it as your “strategy for impact”.
What makes thinking about your theory of change exciting is that the process for this starts with articulating the ultimate impact you want to make on the world – and then working backwards, at each aiming to understand the intermediate outcomes, outputs and activities that will be effective in contributing to this outcome. I have lots of experience and can help you with this process
So, why would you want a theory of change? There are lots of reasons – in fact life in a charity without one can be very difficult. A clear theory of change is often needed to support funding bids, underpin monitoring and evaluation frameworks, help you make strategic decisions about priorities and resource allocation, as well as communicate the complexity of your initiative in a form that is understandable to a wide range of other stakeholders internal and external.
“StreetDoctors needed to refresh our vision, mission and values and create a new theory of change. In my past experience this work has often been drawn out and highly complex. Jean led us through this process with fantastic focus, creativity, efficiency and flair, keeping the whole team, including Trustees, grounded and to task.” Lucie Russell, CEO, StreetDoctors
When I work with you, I make your purpose my purpose.
Examples of my theory of change work
I have worked to support a wide range of organisations develop and articulate their theories of change, including:
- Asylum Aid
- Bexley Mencap
- Breaking Barriers
- Campaign to End Loneliness
- GDWG Refugee Tales
- Housing First
- Innovation Exchange
- Leap Confronting Conflict
- Legacy Trust UK
- Leonard Cheshire (project in Farnham)
- Mind: national strategy for young people
- Peoples’ Health Trust
- Plan UK
- Refugee Week Coalition
- Sense
- StreetDoctors
- Turn2Us
- We Belong
- Youth Access
Evaluation frameworks
Early on in my career with charities I worked on developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks initially as Planning & Evaluation Officer at RNIB working across all RNIB services throughout the UK.
I later delivered a wide range of freelance evaluation projects, and also championed evaluation in charities throughout the UK as chair of the board of Charities Evaluation Services, so thinking about “logical frameworks” underpinning theories of change at system/ organisation/ programme/ service levels is very much embedded in my way of thinking and working.
“Jean helped our organisation to learn together as we benefited from her positive and committed work with us. Jean quickly creates a collaboration with listening at its heart and it was such a pleasure to develop our theory of change and evaluation framework with her guidance.”
Anna Pincus, Director, GDWG/Refugee Tales 2020