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The theory of change process defines the impact, outcomes and output of an organization. During the process, risks and assumptions, as well as indicators to measure success, are also defined.

The goal of a Theory of Change is to articulate your long term goals and to build pathways to actually get there with evaluation build in. All in service to being a more effective changemaker as an organization.

One of the goals of The Theory of Change is to avoid mistakes in the project planning.
The second goal is than allows to stakeholders to consider while developing a strategic plan or evaluation is.

Your answer is very clear and help us to a better understanding of what Theory of Change is.

The goal of Theory of Chnage is to define a pathway of change that will lead to attainment of the long term outcome; also known as impact.
Theory of change clearly defines the activities and their expected outcome for programs within the organization. Additionally, since it is prepared through a team; every member becomes aware of the outcomes map and can clearly define the organizations strategy.

This section explains how and why you might use a theory of change when commissioning and managing an evaluation. It explains options for how it will be developed or revised, how it will be represented, and how it will be used. You might be actively involved in these processes or oversight them. In either case it is important to be aware that there are choices to be made and that informed choices will produce more useful theory of change and better evaluation.

A theory of change explains how the activities undertaken by an intervention (such as a project, program or policy) contribute to a chain of results that lead to the intended or observed impacts. Other labels that your colleagues, partners and evaluators might use include: results chain, logic model, program theory, outcome mapping, impact pathway and investment logic.

the goals of theory of change are:

1. it helps avoid implementing a mistake.
2. it helps a group to build concensus on how success will be documented.
3. it helps program stakeholders develop a shared understanding of what they are trying to accomplish.

Theory of change is a process of finding out a set of interventions/activities/preconditions and how these lead to the achievement of intermediate goals which eventually result in the achievement of the long-term goal/impact that the project/programme want to achieve. It also presents a logical framework of the connections among preconditions/interventions/activities and the intermediate/long-term goals.

The Theory of Change is a methodology for clarifying how your organization’s activities link to outcomes

A process for exploring the reasoning behind your activities and outcomes

To draw a common understanding of the goals that all stakeholders want to achieve

The Theory of Change helps stakeholders to think through the underlying logic of the connections between activities, outputs and outcomes so as to avoid implementing a mistake. It also gives a good idea of how much work needs to be done in order to achieve the projected goal(s). This will help thinking through the resources required and better manage stakeholders expectations.

I agree with your succinct definition of this helpful tool

I agree with your definition

A theory of change is a mechanism or pathways which allow or shows how a certain problem or need is addressed by logically connecting interventions to the desired outcomes to achieve desired goal.

The goal of the theory of change is to link the activities that an organization does to the outcomes its wishes to produce and why these activities will lead to success.

Very true

Theory of change is the guiding light to avoid implementing mistakes. It creates a pathway from the need to the change.

The goal of the TOC is to articulate the process through which changes will occur, the specific ways in which all of the required early and intermediate outcomes related to achieving the ultimate desired long term change will be brought about, and documented as they occur.

i think the goal of theory of change is about estimating what risks and assumptions could affect the project cycle, and it's purpose to keep the project activities on track to aim the desired outcomes and impact.

Shared understanding of what they are trying to accomplish, by making everything clear to everyone involved.

Creating a pathway based on indicators and measuring outcomes to know the success rate

The Theory of Change is a method that can be used to think critically about what is required to bring about a desired social change. For others, it should explain how a group of stakeholders expects to reach a commonly understood long-term goal.

The main goal of Theory of Change is to help an organization to be results-oriented. It also serves as a reminder to consider the process which is vital in achieving the organization's goal.

Agree on this. Identifying risk and assumptions are essential part of developing Theory of Change.

A theory of change helps to establish the indicators for every outcome against which success is measured. It also helps to identify assumptions behind every activity and the linkage between one activity to the other.

A theory of change helps to establish the indicators for every outcome against which success is measured. It also helps to identify assumptions behind every activity and the linkage between one activity to the other.

I agree with this definition ; establishing the reason behind every activity in line with the intermediate and long term goal

I agree with this definition ; establishing the reason behind every activity in line with the intermediate and long term goal

Theory of change refers to bring impact through interventions

The goal is to get a cleat understanding of how the intervention will achieve what it intends.

The goal of Theory of Change is to explore the reasoning behind your organization activities and outcomes.

It is also a way to know whether your organization approach to addressing a problem is working

The goals of a theory of a changé are:

• To illustrate easily the connection between preconditions that bring about a long term change.
• To define indicators for measuring success
• To define necessary interventions that can bring out to the needed result.
• To think of assumptions that support the process.

A theory of change can be a helpful tool for developing solutions to complex social problems. At its most basic, a theory of change explains how a group of early and intermediate accomplishments sets the stage for producing long-range results

TOC is to predict exactly who or what is going to change, over what period of time, and by how much, at every single step in an often complex process.

The purpose of theory of change process is to see how your activities lead to longterm impact.

The objective of the theory of change is to study a problem and find a solution on the basis of hypotheses describing how the change should occur, the chain of early and intermediate realizations necessary to achieve this change in the long term within the limits of time, space and resources well-defined.

Dar sentido a las estrategias empleadas en los proyectos y en las organizaciones
Identificar como las actividades conducen de una manera lógica a los resultados

• Explorar la coherencia entre las actividades y los resultados planteados
• Dar sentido a las estrategias propuestas por los proyectos

• Explorar la coherencia entre las actividades y los resultados planteados
• Dar sentido a las estrategias propuestas por los proyectos

The goal of ToC is to process steps from the end of the initiatives, then think of sets of pre-conditions or assumptions that need to happen, all the way to present condition.

A theory of change helps program stakeholders develop a shared understanding of what they are trying to accomplish, by making everything clear to everyone involved.

The goals of the Theory of Change process include:

• development of a strategic plan;

• become explicit/realistic about the use of resources; and

• builds consensus on how success will be documented.

Nice succinct description of a Theory of Change.

A theory of change is a tool to help you describe a project’s pathway from the need you are trying to address to the changes you want to make (your outcomes) and what you plan to do (your activities).
It is often represented in a diagram or chart, but a full theory of change process involves more than this.
[The theory of change process] should help you consider and articulate the assumptions that lie behind your reasoning. [It should] address the question of why you think your activities will lead to the outcomes you want. It should also challenge you to develop clear aims and strategies and to explore whether your plans are supported by evidence.

1. Who are you seeking to influence or benefit (target population)?
2. What benefits are you seeking to achieve (results)?
3. When will you achieve them (time period)?
4. How will you and others make this happen (activities, strategies, resources, etc.)?
5. Where and under what circumstances will you do your work (context)?
6. Why do you believe your theory will bear out (assumptions)?

The theory of change is an activity who consists to change a field for another in order to get a better outcomes

Theory of Change is a theory of project planner to show the way of change that s/he want to bring by the project intervention.

The goal of ToC processes is to help stakeholders think critically about how their activities in the short/medium term will achieve their long term social change.

The Theory of change is a pathway that shows how a project will run from beginning to the end, what is to be achieved and how to know that the project was successful

A theory of change is a tool to help you describe a project’s pathway from the need you are trying to address to the changes you want to make (your outcomes) and what you plan to do (your activities).

the goals of the Theory of Change process are to identify the assumptions that need to be true for the project to succeed.

A Theory of Change is a way of mapping a desired impact or long term outcome that an organization or a community wants as a way of solving a problem. It both demonstrates the viability of interventions to effect the necessary preconditions to bring about this long term solution and the standards by which you measure these interventions to reflect accountability to stakeholders.

A Theory of Change is a guide to action: It is designed to show how targeted activities can lead to a long term solution by following the logic of cause and effect. It argues that the series of effects, or intermediate outcomes, must be necessary to the ultimate goal and these effects can be measured.

Very clear by way of brevity. This is true for many short answers on this TL. But I keep thinking why specifically, as the question asks us, what is an "accurate justification" for this mapping? This is definitely not an issue with this particular answer. I struggled with it.

Theory of Change is a methodology for planning, participation, and evaluation that is used in companies, philanthropy, not-for-profit and government sectors to promote social change. Theory of Change defines long-term goals and then maps backward to identify necessary preconditions.

When developing the Theory of change we should always involve staff from other section

Theory of change is a fundamental tool that can be used by mission driven organizations to create and measure impact of their work.

The goals is to produce better outcome the organisation intend to achieve its objectives.

the goal of theory of change is to link interventions to out, and how these outcomes are to lead to impact

theory of change helps us justify the outcomes and explain how these outcomes will lead to impact

theory of change helps to description of interventions to desired outcomes and how these outcomes leads may lead to an impact

theory of change refers to a process of justifying the project, that is activities and expected outcomes and how these outcomes explaining how these outcomes will lead to a desired impact

The Theory of Change consists, first of all, of defining the impact that the enterprise wants to cause as a well-defined objective, and then to develop the necessary steps to reach the goal.

A theory of change helps hash out an intervention from start to beginning. By anticipating, identifying and organising pre conditions, assumptions, inputs, and outputs, outcomes and goals, a Theory of Change helps create the supply change of an intervention to ensure that effectiveness is maximised.

A theory of change helps map out an intervention from beginning to end. By anticipating, identifying and organising pre-conditions, assumptions, inputs, outputs, outcomes and goals, a theory of change helps map out the supply chain of an intervention.

A theory of change helps map out an intervention from beginning to end. By anticipating, identifying and organising pre-conditions, assumptions, inputs, outputs, outcomes and goals, a theory of change helps map out the supply chain of an intervention.

The goal of the theory of change process is to map out the process of a change initiative, showing how an intervention leads to intermediate positive outcomes, which in turn lead to long term positive outcomes.

This is a very clear, well-thought out definition!

The goal of theory of change is to help organization show how the ultimate impact will occur, and how this can be measured.

A Theory of Change process supports organizations to identify, clarify and map out their long-term goal (vision) in relation to defined activities that deliver mid-term and long-term outcomes.

Projects seek to bring about change in some form during a specified time period, for an instance poverty alleviation, improving livelihoods, gender equality. Theory of Change provides a thorough explanation of how and why the anticipated change could be brought about in each situation.
It is the basis of planning the entire way forward of a project, goals of organization and to keep on track to achieve proposed results. It helps the sponsors and the other stakeholders to understand the reasoning behind the proposed strategy and makes it easier to see if there are any challenges or logical drawbacks.

Yes, added to this,
Theory of Change defines long term outcomes/ impact and then maps backward to identify required preconditions and interventions.
This explains the causal linkages of initiatives, shorter-term, intermediate, and longer-term outcomes of them.

Theory of Change is essentially a comprehensive description and illustration of how and why a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context. It is focused in particular on mapping out or “filling in” what has been described as the “missing middle” between what a program or change initiative does (its activities or interventions) and how these lead to desired goals being achieved.

In two sentences or fewer, define what the goals of the Theory of Change process are.

Theory of Change is finding a path with clear objectives and measures of success at every step of the way to the long term outcome.

The goals of the Theory of Change are to define, show and explain how, when and why the planned activities (interventions) will bring about the expected outcomes (impact).

Very good and simple definition

The theory of change helps to show the big picture of the path way to take in order to attain a long term goal. It can be broken down into different components with intervention(s) that create 1 or many preconditions and that can lead to the final big goal. The success of the interventions can be measured with indicators at differents steps of the way.

Theory of Change or ToC allows program proponents to be precise of the change they want to see in their program. By initiating different activities that will produce immediate results, they would be able to achieve their set goals and ensure that it will produce a lasting impact.

Technically explained, as it focused o the outcome and the impact.

it is an approach that seek to help us know what we do ( as organizations' and even individual) and what impact this has , is the input ( activities and the interventions) measurable output and what evidence do we have to show this claim . this approach therefore helps us to be accountable in all aspects.

The Theory of Change is a tool used to clarify how an Organisation intends to create and measure change.
It’s a essential strategic process to make a measurable impact on the world.

As a tool to identify and define the path from activities to long-term goals, the theory of change has been thought to help the organizations create and follow the right pattern to achieve long-term outcomes. It is not only useful to set objectives but to measure them and address intermediate goals to reach the final goal.

The goals of theory of change process are to understand the different outcomes that are thought as preconditions for long-term goals by defining the indicators to measure success, as well as to think of assumptions of outcomes during the pathway.

theory of change helps us to describe how the different activities carried out by an organization will lead to the desired outcome and impact

The goals of the Theory of Change process are to set long term outcomes through a clear path in which all the stakeholders are involved in establishing the activities that are necessary to reach such goals, but also engaged in discussing the reasons behind every decision, thus avoiding unclarities and gaining a common and shared knownledge of the process as a whole.

theory of change helps us describe how different in puts or activities will lead to the desired outcomes and impact

A theory of change allows stakeholders to think the underlying logic of the connections between preconditions and planned interventions to achieve long-term goal. It will help illustrating how much can realistically be done given the resources and time available, by making everything clear to everyone involved.

To have an ultimate long-term goal (impact) from which our interventions will be determined, together with immediate outcomes so as to avoid implementing a mistake.

ToC is a process that aims to create a debate among the members of a project or an organisation about the objectives and the means of the organisation itself. It provides the tools and the methodology, but the success lies on the will of the involved actors.

A goal of a theory of Change is one of the objective desired statement that a project intended to achievement

ToC is a fundamental tool to ensure the effectiveness of our project. Thanks to an accurate pathway of change we underline the link among the "activities", the "intermediary outcomes", the "outcomes" and the "impact" of our project.
ToC is usefull to design a project, since we don't have to design and implement activities that end in themselves but we have to be sure to achieve an impact/long-term outcome.

Thegoals of theory of change are bringing all stakeholders to a common understanfing of the Long term outcome of any project, the preconditions/ early signals to be achieved towards the Long term outcome and the initiatives that will enable achievement of preconditions. It also includes assumptions which acknowledge knowledge, resource and time deficits, what will be the indicators of achievement of pre-coditions and Long term goals and how success of long term goals will be documented.

Very well explained.

The goal of the theory of change process is to understand how your program/activities lead to the desired outcomes and define this before you begin work.

I agree with you!

Theory of Change illustrate a proposed pathway to the change

The goal of Theory of Change Process is to ensure all the planned activities/Interventions lead to intended intermediate outcomes and subsequently to the overall intended goal/out of the Organization to avoid misalignment and misallocation of the resources.

the goals of the theory of change is to provide the organisation a clear road map of where/what the it intends to achieve to succeed.

Identifying steps that have to be taken to achieve the desired long-term goal of a programme/initiative (identifying the pathway of change that includes a clear description and stakeholders' consensus on preconditions and interventions as well ad underlying assumptions).

@MES-Diyan said in Module 1: Introduction to Theory of Change:

The Theory of Change provides the big picture of the intended change. It defines the long-term goal of a project and the broad strategic areas of intervention, and then maps the building blocks or preconditions, that need to be in place for the long-term change to occur. The Theory of Change also identifies the assumptions that need to hold true for the project to succeed, and the evidence that is available to support them.

Very precise description of the ToC process