Study plan
Study Outline: Evaluation Foundations and Theory of Change
Build understanding of evaluation foundations and theory of change, including program logic, outputs versus outcomes, time horizons of change, assumptions, measurement, and use in impact management.
Lessons in this plan
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1
Understanding impact and evaluation foundations
Define impact as change in outcomes for people or the planet, recognize that impact can be positive or negative, intended or unintended, and distinguish evaluation’s role in informing action and decisions.
- 2 Impact dimensions: what, who, how much, contribution, and risk Use the core impact dimensions to describe an outcome: identify what changed, for whom, how much, whether the change would have happened anyway, and what risks or unexpected effects are present.
- 3 Time horizons of change and stakeholder perspectives Analyze how impact can change over time across different stakeholders, using short-, medium-, and long-term perspectives to identify shifting positive and negative effects.
- 4 Theory of change: purpose, assumptions, and causal pathway Explain a theory of change as the path from needs to activities to impact, and make explicit the assumptions about how and why change is expected to happen.
- 5 Program logic models: inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and long-term impacts Construct and interpret a basic logic model, clearly distinguishing resources, activities, outputs, outcomes, and long-term impacts.
- 6 Outputs versus outcomes and the sequencing of results Differentiate direct evidence of service delivery from the changes a program seeks to create, including short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes.
- 7 Measurement and evaluation using theory of change Identify what to measure at activity, participation, output, and outcome levels, and connect theory of change to process, outcome, formative, and summative evaluation.
- 8 Impact monitoring and management in practice Apply theory of change and evaluation evidence to continuous monitoring and management decisions, including checking assumptions, tracking unintended outcomes, and adjusting strategy at project, program, or organizational level.