Theory of Change Workshops 19 and 26 July 2021
How do you communicate to stakeholders the link between your research and intended changes to sustainable development?How do you make the case to funders on the potential impacts of your research project?How do you keep track of project outcomes in relation to the expected impacts?The “Theory of Change” has been developed and used to help you answer these questions. |
Workshop Part 1: 19th July 2021, 2 hours 10.30am-1pmWorkshop Part 2: 26th July 2021, 2 hours 10.30am-1pm |
About the workshops
These interactive workshops will explore Theory of Change (ToC) and how we can use it to communicate and maximise the potential for change of projects. Acknowledging that ToC is more straightforward than its name suggests, we will seek to de-mystify ToC so that it feels more intuitive as an approach rather than a burdensome additional requirement.
An interactive tool will be available to all participants in advance of the meetings with a bank of useful information. Participants will be able to use the tool to share information and interact with the group.
IGSD is working with Christine Bell from the Centre for Facilitation to deliver these workshops. Christine has a strong track record of working with universities and funders, facilitating productive virtual discussions around research using a variety of tools that enable participants to explore information, develop ideas and network.
Background
Theory of Change is a framework for capturing how we think change will happen and how we can align our activities and resources to influence these changes within a particular context. It might be best conceived of as a holistic, dialogical and collaborative way to model and track desired change in a multi-disciplinary research project.
Recognising their value in the research process, funder such as UKRI and NIHR increasingly encourage applicants to use frameworks such as Theory of Change. While ToC is useful at any project stage, it is particularly suitable as a basis for other monitoring and evaluation tools, such as logframes, and can be as used formalistically, or holistically and collaboratively.
It has the potential to shape project planning, increase positive interactions with partners and stakeholders and to help project teams to keep track of project outcomes.
Key aims
- To understand different approaches to Theory of Change and how they can benefit the research life cycle.
- To begin to develop a ToC for an existing research proposal.
- To share experience and build a community of practice for researchers working on global sustainable development.
Who should attend?
There are 25 places available on the workshop. Research teams (including non-Warwick team members), researchers, professional services staff supporting research projects will most benefit, but this workshop is open to all Warwick staff who want to explore ToC.
Format
Instead of an intensive one-day event we have broken up the workshop into a series of bite sized chunks to help maintain your energy and to provide reflective time.
The workshops are sequential, and each session will build on the previous session so we are hoping you will join them all.
The events are designed as virtual participatory dialogue so most of the time will be in conversation with others and not in a standard webinar “listen” only mode. There will be short reflective pauses in the sessions but expected to be actively engaged throughout the planned timings.