Theory of change builder
Write the long-term change you want, the outcomes that lead to it, and the outputs and activities behind each outcome, with your assumptions. See it as a diagram and as a story, then download it as a logframe.
Delivering this through partners? In Advancer.World each partner's path towards your outcomes is tracked step by step. Try it free in Advancer.World
Sending this to partners by e-mail? In Advancer.World each partner fills it in online, in their own language, and you see every answer in one place. Start free
Your theory of change
Read as a story
How to write a theory of change
Start from the end: the long-term change you want to see in people's lives, written as a situation, not an activity. Then ask what has to be true for that change to happen: those conditions are your outcomes. Three to five outcomes are usually enough.
For each outcome, write the outputs your program will deliver - what it produces directly - and the activities that produce them. Then write the assumption behind each outcome: what you believe about why it will work. Assumptions are where most programs fail, so make them explicit.
Read the result as a story: if we carry out these activities, these outputs will exist, which leads to this outcome, as long as the assumption holds. If a sentence does not convince you, the logic has a gap. The logframe download adds columns for indicators, means of verification, baselines and targets.
Turn your theory of change into a path for every partner
When a program is delivered through partners, the theory of change only works if each partner moves. In Advancer.World your outcomes become stages and topics, each step carries its work and indicators, and you see every partner's progress.
- Outcomes turned into a shared path for partners
- Indicators per stage and per partner
- Progress reports for donors from the same data
Free for up to 5 partners. No card needed.
What is a theory of change?
A description of how and why a program's activities are expected to lead to the change it aims for, step by step, with the assumptions that link each step to the next.
What is the difference between a theory of change and a logframe?
A theory of change explains the logic and the assumptions; a logframe is a table that sets indicators, means of verification and targets for each level. This tool builds the first and gives you the skeleton of the second in Excel.
What is the difference between outputs and outcomes?
Outputs are what the program produces directly: people trained, kits delivered. Outcomes are the changes those outputs lead to: teachers using what they learned, children staying in school.
Is my theory of change saved?
It is kept in this browser only, so you can come back to it on this device. Nothing is sent to our servers. Download it or print it to share it.
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