Unlocking impact: making theories of change work for you

A theory of change is not as grand as it sounds – it’s just a term that refers to making explicit the thinking behind why a programme, project or intervention will make a difference to the people or communities it seeks to serve.

A theory of change focuses on what’s important for the people and communities you care about: it sets out – or maps – how the activities your initiative delivers are going to contribute to the outcomes and impacts that are important to them.

This is especially effective for complex change where numbers alone can’t demonstrate the difference your work makes, and where people are at the heart of change.

Every initiative has a theory of change – they just aren’t always made explicit or written down.

Find out more about collaborating to generate a shared understanding of how your initiative makes change in the world. Learn about different approaches to generating theories of change, with a focus on practical ways of doing this you can apply in your own setting.

At Matter of Focus, we’ve helped more than 150 projects, programmes and organisations to map, track and report on how the activities they deliver reach the outcomes that are important to them.

We know that theories of change can be useful tools for understanding, learning, monitoring and evaluation, and as a communication tool to share your work and its potential impact with stakeholders.

We’ll share how to apply theories of change in your day-to-day work so that you can build capacity to learn and improve.

We’ll showcase successful theories of change across various scales – from small projects to large-scale strategic initiatives. Understand how other organisations have designed and used theories of change and evolved them to suit changing circumstances.

The work to develop and use a theory of change improves efficiency, effectiveness and the ability to attract funding. Creating and using this approach helps foster a culture of learning and continuous improvement. It can also become a cornerstone for evidence-informed decision-making, making sure you stay focused on what matters, deliver the best work you can, and are able to demonstrate your impact.