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10. Further Reading, Links and Blogs

10. Further Reading, Links and Blogs


Additional tags: Theory of change , Manuals , Links , Blogs

Here you can find additional literature about ToC, links to recommended sites and selected blogs and extracts. 

 

1. Reflections on practice/lessons learned

Hivos' experience with ToC

The first phase of Hivos' ToC initiative ran from 2007 to 2010 and had the form of a capacity development programme with partners. In the course of this process a lot of reflection took place. A summary of the main lessons learned in that period can be found in here in English and Spanish.

 

Local NGOs and their contribution to social change in latin America: paradoxes and contradictions

This Critical Reflection Note by Retolaza and Rozo analyses four paradoxes the authors have identified in their work as organisational learning and change facilitators in Latin America. These paradoxes are a recurrent issue in many of the social change organisations working in human rights and deepening of democracy in the region.  The authors find necessary to deal explicitly with the contradictory behaviour of a large number of local NGOs; claiming that not doing so may hinder or severely affect their real contribution to social change in the region. Based on this analysis, the document ends with some critical action-reflection questions directed to International NGO supporting local organisations. These questions are an invitation to develop new criteria for supporting local NGOs, since many of their contradictory behaviours are systematically reproduced with a little help from their international friends.

Click here to read the note in Spanish. 

 

2. Experiences of other organisations

Comic Relief - This report was commissioned by Comic Relief and written by Cathy James, an independent consultant. It aims to draw together Comic Relief staff and partners’ experiences in using theory of change; to identify others in development that are using theory of change and analyse their different approaches and experience; and to capture learning from everyone to promote debate, and to help inform what agencies using or advocating for the use of theory of change do next. 

 

Agri-ProFocus is a network that offers a central ‘marketplace’ where organisations, professionals, resources and knowledge come together. Professionals that make up the network decide to cooperate in one of the Agri-Hubs or on one of several knowledge themes. The Agri-Hubs are local networks set up in nine African countries, which provide multi-actor arenas in support of entrepreneurship. A constant flow of information and power to connect is at their heart. The visual ToC shows how the hubs are expected to contribute to effective market uptake, which ultimately will improve farmer enterprise performance. 

 

ICCO applies ToC to underpin its Programmatic Approach (see model), based on the following arguments (p.7 Guidance Note):

  • Development problems are the result of complex systems of interlinked actors, structures, institutions and processes
  • Complex problematics demand an approach that can deal with and work in complexity. Therefore a Multi Stakeholder Process (MSP) is needed
  • MSP's lead to joint learning and cooperation between the actors involved
  • The MSP represents the system involved in the problematic. Cooperation between actors and organisations leads to added value: greater effectiveness in change at the institutional level and whole system change
  • The ICCO alliance will support existing cooperative processes and initiate the cooperative process if none exists yet
  • Coalitions of cooperating actors have (and adhere to) ownership in the programmatic cooperation (the programme)
  • This also implies that a coalition can identify possibilities for diversification of funding sources to assure sustainability of the cooperation and independence from the ICCO alliance.

 

3. Links to Useful sites

Here are some links to relevant websites. The links refer to examples of different guidelines and tools on Theories of Change. They reflect a variety of perspectives and interpretations of Theory of Change.

 

4. Blogs

These blogs and extracts provide excellent insights to Theory of Change work

Rosalind Eyben - IDS Research fellow in the Participation, Power and Social Change team - Here

Duncan Green's blog on theories of change offers some useful insights: Here

Ian Thorpe's "Knowledge Management on a Dollar a Day" blog with an interesting piece - I've got a theory (of change) - Here

Rick Davies - "Rick on the Road:Criteria for Assessing the Evaluability of Theories of Change" - Here

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