Summary

The Center for Theory of Change is a nonprofit organization that promotes quality standards and best practices for developing and implementing Theory of Change, with particular focus on international development, sustainability, education, human rights, and social change.

Body

https://www.theoryofchange.org

The Center for Theory of Change (C-ToC) was established to promote quality standards for Theory of Change development and implementation, particularly in the fields of international development, sustainability, education, human rights, and social change [source: center-for-theory-of-change]. The organization is the authoritative source for Theory of Change certification, training, and methodological standards used by nonprofits, foundations, and governments worldwide [source: center-for-theory-of-change].

C-ToC defines Theory of Change as a comprehensive approach that links desired long-term goals to all the conditions that must be in place for those goals to be achieved, mapping out a step-by-step pathway that makes assumptions and expectations explicit [source: center-for-theory-of-change]. This definition emphasizes backward mapping — starting from the long-term impact and working backwards to identify the preconditions — as the core discipline [source: center-for-theory-of-change].

The Center’s methodology breaks Theory of Change development into six sequential steps: identifying long-term goals; backwards mapping and connecting outcomes; completing the outcomes framework; identifying assumptions; developing indicators; and identifying interventions [source: center-for-theory-of-change]. Each step generates documentation that feeds into evaluation planning [source: center-for-theory-of-change].

C-ToC distinguishes Theory of Change from logic models and logframes: while logic models and logframes show the operational chain from inputs to activities to outputs, Theory of Change makes explicit the underlying theory of causation — why the campaign believes these activities will produce these outcomes [source: center-for-theory-of-change]. C-ToC also stresses that Theory of Change is critical to evaluation, providing the framework that determines what to evaluate and when [source: center-for-theory-of-change].

The organization offers a certification course, webinars, a Technical Assistance Desk, and the TOCO software tool for building and managing Theory of Change diagrams [source: center-for-theory-of-change].

Use it for

Building rigorous Theories of Change; understanding the difference between ToC and logic models; training team members in backward-mapping methodology; accessing ToC examples across sectors; certification in ToC facilitation.

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Open Questions

Does C-ToC have free introductory resources that can serve as primary citation material, or are the key methodological texts behind a paywall (certification course)? License for using TOCO software outputs in wiki diagrams?