29 March 2023

The importance of developing a Theory of Change

We take you through developing a Theory of Change and why it’s key to your evaluation

Join TASO on the 3 – 4 May for a two-day conference to develop your evaluation skills and effectively respond to the Office for Students’ new focus on risks to equality of opportunity in higher education. Buy your ticket now.

The Office for Students has announced a new approach to equality of opportunity in higher education, with a focus on evaluation. Higher education providers are being asked to utilise TASO’s Theory of Change templates as part of their access and participation plans (APPs). But what is a Theory of Change and why is it important?

First off, what is a Theory of Change?

A Theory of Change is a visual representation of how an intervention’s activities contribute to the intended outcomes and impact. By developing a Theory of Change you can understand how different aspects of your intervention fit together to achieve your final goal.

But why do I need it?

Developing a Theory of Change allows you to describe the need you are trying to address, the changes you want to make (your outcomes) and how you plan to achieve these changes (your activities).

It also allows you to answer key questions around your intervention:

Is this the right intervention?
Is the intervention achievable?
Is the intervention likely to create the impact we’re aiming for?

Okay, so how can TASO help me?

Our existing ‘core template’ can help you develop your Theory of Change. It provides a high-level snapshot of how we can expect an activity to lead to its intended impact. You do not need a background in evaluation to understand this template. It’s also useful if you want to give senior leaders/stakeholders a snapshot of your plan!

We are also currently piloting an enhanced approach to Theory of Change which will build upon our core template. This ‘enhanced template’ will provide a format for capturing much more information about the activities and mechanisms by which we expect change to happen. It not only helps us map out what is happening but why.