1 of 53

Theory of Change

1

HCD MODULE 7

Identifying Community Centric Interventions

2 of 53

THEORY OF CHANGE

Theory of change is about continuous inquiry — measuring how the ideas respond to the barriers.

2

TRIAL SOLUTION

Implement the solution on the smallest possible scale and continue to monitor its efficacy.

1

3

CONTINUOUS INQUIRY

THEORY OF CHANGE

Devise a ‘theory of change’ for each must address challenge to determine what we need to measure and learn.

Continue to adapt the solution and update the ‘theory of change’ as it scales.

IN THIS LESSON:

3 of 53

An iterative process with simple tools

ABOUT HCD

3

Share statistics

stories backed by data

DEFINITION

Discover learning goals

DIAGNOSIS

Empathize and understand

DESIGN

Ideate and prototype

IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH

Test and evolve

People are

rational human

Closed Open inquiry about challenges and solutions

Report on �Evolve your interventions

Define messages for Design interventions with the community

Challenges are one �multi-dimensional

Linear validation Cyclical iteration

PERSONA MODELS

JOURNEY MAPPING

RAPID INQUIRY

SYNTHESIS

3

1

2

4

IDEA GENERATION

PROTOTYPING

5

6

THEORY OF CHANGE

7

4 of 53

Report on Evolve the interventions

As contexts and communities evolve, so must our solutions. HCD maps the system of people and activities that we assume will bring about change to collaboratively monitor over time.

4

THEORY OF CHANGE

7

5 of 53

We collect building blocks of ToC throughout the process

ToC x HCD

5

Important Roles/Inputs

Barriers + Enablers

Informs activities > outputs > outcomes

Activities + Strategies

Surface Implementation Research Questions and Key Indicators

PERSONA MODELS

JOURNEY MAPPING

RAPID INQUIRY

SYNTHESIS

IDEA GENERATION

PROTOTYPING

THEORY OF CHANGE

M+E

6 of 53

Theory of change serves two purposes:

(1) Collaboration — Lay out the ‘real world’ strategy, with all possible pathways leading to change, that can be socialized with communities / reference groups

(2) Accountability — A way to check if our assumptions are correct

THEORY OF CHANGE

7 of 53

TOC starts with the desired impact and works backwards.

RECAP

7

8 of 53

ToC

If these people

Inputs

Do these activities

Activities

We will see this immediate change

Outputs

That builds toward changed drivers �of behaviors / influence

Intermediate Outcomes

Leading to changed �behavior / performance

Outcomes

And results in measurable change

Impact

9 of 53

TOC tracks for

intermediate outcomes on the road to long-term change

RECAP

9

IMPACT

OUTCOMES

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES

OUTPUTS

ACTIVITIES

INPUTS

10 of 53

THEORY OF CHANGE

10

change in conditions for children

impact resulting from change in behavior

And results in measurable change

results statement

can control

can influence

WHY

IMPACT

11 of 53

THEORY OF CHANGE

11

change in conditions for children

impact resulting from change in behavior

And results in measurable change

results statement

can control

can influence

WHY

IMPACT

changes in performance of individuals or institutions

actual change in behavior, civic engagement, policies

Leading to changed behavior/

performance

OUTCOMES

WHAT

12 of 53

THEORY OF CHANGE

12

change in conditions for children

impact resulting from change in behavior

And results in measurable change

results statement

can control

can influence

WHY

IMPACT

changes in performance of individuals or institutions

actual change in behavior, civic engagement, policies

Leading to changed behavior/

performance

OUTCOMES

precursors of individual or institutional change

attitudes, self-efficacy, participation opportunities

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES

That builds toward changed drivers of behavior/influence

WHAT

13 of 53

TOC is clear about what we can influence (outcomes) and what we can control (outputs)

RECAP

13

14 of 53

THEORY OF CHANGE

14

change in conditions for children

impact resulting from change in behavior

And results in measurable change

results statement

can control

can influence

WHY

IMPACT

changes in performance of individuals or institutions

actual change in behavior, civic engagement, policies

Leading to changed behavior/

performance

OUTCOMES

precursors of individual or institutional change

attitudes, self-efficacy, participation opportunities

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES

That builds toward changed drivers of behavior/influence

RESULTS

(the difference we make)

OUTPUTS

WHAT

changes in capacity of individuals or institutions

something has been created, repaired, improved

We will see this immediate change

15 of 53

THEORY OF CHANGE

15

change in conditions for children

impact resulting from change in behavior

And results in measurable change

results statement

can control

can influence

WHY

IMPACT

changes in performance of individuals or institutions

actual change in behavior, civic engagement, policies

Leading to changed behavior/

performance

OUTCOMES

precursors of individual or institutional change

attitudes, self-efficacy, participation opportunities

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES

That builds toward changed drivers of behavior/influence

RESULTS

(the difference we make)

OUTPUTS

WHAT

what we do

actions taken to produce initial results

Do these activities

prioritized ideas after prototyping

HOW

ACTIVITIES

changes in capacity of individuals or institutions

something has been created, repaired, improved

We will see this immediate change

16 of 53

THEORY OF CHANGE

16

change in conditions for children

impact resulting from change in behavior

And results in measurable change

results statement

can control

can influence

WHY

IMPACT

changes in performance of individuals or institutions

actual change in behavior, civic engagement, policies

Leading to changed behavior/

performance

OUTCOMES

precursors of individual or institutional change

attitudes, self-efficacy, participation opportunities

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES

That builds toward changed drivers of behavior/influence

changes in capacity of individuals or institutions

something has been created, repaired, improved

We will see this immediate change

RESULTS

(the difference we make)

OUTPUTS

WHAT

what we do

actions taken to produce initial results

Do these activities

prioritized ideas after prototyping

HOW

ACTIVITIES

resources

needed to carry out activities

If these people

anyone who uses, administers, or manages the idea

IMPLEMENTATION

(what we do)

INPUTS

17 of 53

In your groups, complete a theory of change for your prototype.

30 minutes

FINAL EXERCISE!

18 of 53

Theory of Change

How

What

Why

INPUTS

ACTIVITIES

OUTPUTS

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES

OUTCOMES

IMPACT

If these people

anyone who uses, administers, or

manages the idea

Do these activities

prioritized ideas after

prototyping

We will see this

immediate change

something created, repaired,

improved

That builds towards changed drivers of

behavior/influence

Leading to �changed behavior/

performance

And results in

measurable change

(results statement)

19 of 53

Iteration?

MINDSET

19

20 of 53

If the idea isn’t working we ask ourselves why:

Do we really understand the underlying problems? Is the idea actually responsive to the barriers? How easy it is to implement? Can it work with something that already exists? Is the idea transforming behavior? Is it desirable to the community? How can it be more influential? Is it decreasing inequities? How long does the intervention need to be operational in order to solve the problem?

HCD + ToC

20

21 of 53

Iteration forces us to

check our biases

BIASES

21

21

Our level of intelligence does not shield us from cognitive biases.

Educated, high-income people are just as susceptible to forgetting important tasks or exaggerating probabilities as the less-educated and poor.

biases

22 of 53

Confirmation bias: Hearing what we want

BIASES

22

22

We have a tendency to test ideas in a one-sided way, focusing on one possibility and ignoring alternatives.

From conducting field research to analysing research findings, we exhibit the tendency to fit what we see and hear into pre-existing notions of how we think things work. We may automatically ignore or forget information that goes against our prior beliefs.

23 of 53

Confirmation bias: Hearing what we want

Listen, but don’t only listen

BIASES

23

23

HCD remedy:

  • Working with diverse perspectives – both in project teams and including community perspectives – helps surface biases
  • Persona models look at evidence-based habits and motivations from others’ perspectives
  • Journey maps demonstrate the complex reality of barriers
  • Research uses interactive exercises
  • Prototyping asks people to perform tasks

24 of 53

Overconfidence bias: Having an answer

BIASES

24

24

Definitive answers are more comfortable than ambiguity, but being unsure is far better than being falsely confident.

The preference for knowing the answer is so pervasive and ubiquitous, that overconfidence is one of the most powerful biases. It causes us to make important judgements and decisions without enough consideration.

25 of 53

Overconfidence bias: Having an answer

Community co-creation

BIASES

25

25

HCD remedy:

  • Surfacing assumptions, questioning the perfection of any diagnosis or idea and mandating continual investigation and improvement.
  • Starting ideas invite critique and input
  • Prototypes gather feedback from the community and allows ideas to continue to improve during implementation

26 of 53

Default bias:

Path of least resistance

BIASES

26

26

We are inclined to accept the tried and tested (even if stagnant) solutions rather than challenge pre-selected options.

Resisting the familiar and ‘accepted’ opens our work to more possibilities for experimentation and effectiveness in the long run.

27 of 53

Default bias:

Path of least resistance

Expansive thinking

BIASES

27

27

HCD remedy:

  • Generate many ideas before voting on a few to use
  • Get inspired by outside and analogous examples
  • Use quotes, images and other ‘anectdotal’ evidence to inspire new ideas
  • Accept that small changes can make an outsized impact
  • Invite the community and different experts to co-create new solutions

28 of 53

Implementation Research: paradigm shift

It takes between 10-20 years before evidence-based innovations and interventions are included in national health policies and programmes. These delays lead to substantial and preventable loss of lives.

The poorest and most marginalized segments of the population are the most likely to be affected, as their access to health and social services is already low and often compromised due to disadvantages in socio-economic circumstances, education, and geography.

Implementation research can help reduce such inequities, accelerate uptake of innovations and scale up of proven lifesaving interventions by providing the real-time evidence decision makers need to improve their policies, programmes and practice at relatively low cost (compared to discovery research).

UNICEF’s definition of implementation research (IR) is the integration of high-quality and real-time research​ within existing program implementation and policy-making​ to improve outcomes​ and overcome implementation bottlenecks.

Implementation Research

28

67%

of UNICEF projects using IR led to changes in policies, programmes and/or practice

85%

of country team members engaged in UNICEF supported IR projects reported that they have acquired transferable skills they can use to improve programme management, to mount subsequent IR studies, and to help strengthen their careers

$50,000

is an average cost of implementing IR per project - as measured across 40 completed IR projects carried out by UNICEF in 28 countries

63%

is the reduction of child mortality upon embedding IR, while discovery research has a 22% mortality reduction potential

29 of 53

RESOURCES

29

IR Resources

30 of 53

RESOURCES

30

hcd4health.org

31 of 53

RESOURCES

31

sbcguidance.org

32 of 53

Truths are buried - dig deep to unearth insights

�Incorrect assumptions alongside unrealistic expectations are the main reasons projects fail. We conduct thorough research to avoid basing interventions on assumptions of what might work. We unearth hidden truths and disentangle what people self-report about their behaviors from what they actually do. ’Thick data’ in the form of stories, emotions, and interactions gives us a more complete picture of barriers and solutions.

32

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

33 of 53

Attention is dispersed — narrow your focus

�With many priorities competing for attention in people’s daily lives, our programmes are unlikely to be given focused consideration or deep reflection. Understanding this, we focus on those behaviors that are most essential for achieving the project’s goals — and on community members whose behavior change will make the biggest difference. We go for the easy wins first to encourage people to try the more difficult behaviors.

33

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

34 of 53

Some community members are uniquely equipped to incite change - seek allies

Each community has people whose opinions are respected and often followed, such as religious leaders, government authorities, grandmothers or successful farmers. If we manage to motivate them to support our work, we are likely to achieve better results.

34

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

35 of 53

Knowledge and awareness are not enough — go beyond logic

�Emotions, not facts, are the most effective agents of change. We need to give people a chance to experience the benefits the promoted behavior brings so that they can feel good about it. Knowledge matters, however, the feelings associated with practicing a different behavior and gaining tangible benefits are powerful motivators — more than logical information and education alone.

35

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

36 of 53

Intentions are not actions — make it easier for people to go from knowledge to action

�The main reason why people do not practice certain behaviors is often not their ignorance or lack of interest but the barriers they are facing. The most successful interventions are those that address the reasons (psychological, social, and environmental) preventing or discouraging people from achieving the desired change and at the same time increase motivation for change.

36

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

37 of 53

Context comes first — consider what people are already doing and align services with this

Asking people to change their behavior is not as effective as making a desired behavior easy. We assess and take advantage of the existing positive behaviors, beliefs and know-how. At the same time it is critical not to undermine important traditions that do not cause any harm.

37

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

38 of 53

In your group, teach back �each principle:

  1. What is an example of this principle in the work you’ve done this week?
  2. Which shifts, tools and methods help respond to each of the following universal principles?

FINAL REVIEW

38

39 of 53

6 PRINCIPLES

COMMUNITY LEADERS��Some community members are uniquely equipped to incite change - seek allies

Context comes first — consider what people are already doing and align services with this

�Intentions are not actions — make it easier for people to go from knowledge to action

�Knowledge and awareness are not enough — go beyond logic

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDS��Attention is dispersed: narrow your focus!

ADOLESCENT��Truths are buried: dig deep to unearth insights!

Group 5

Group 3

Group 1

Group 2

Group 4

Group 6

39

40 of 53

What’s one thing you’re going to share with someone else?

FINAL REFLECTION!

40

41 of 53

Congratulations! You have completed the training!

41

41

42 of 53

APPENDIX

Facilitator’s References

  1. Theory of Change Introduction
  2. ‘Theory of Change’ step-by-step
  3. Editable ‘Theory of Change’ tool
  4. Review of HCD Process Steps (to be used at the start or closing of the last day)

42

43 of 53

Theory of Change

track the impact of your interventions

TOOLS

As contexts and communities evolve, so must our solutions. A theory of change maps the system of people and activities that we assume will bring about change to collaboratively monitor over time. It tracks for intermediate outcomes on the road to long-term change.

Theory of change serves two purposes:

  1. Collaboration — Lay out the ‘real world’ strategy, with all possible pathways leading to change that can be socialized with communities and stakeholder groups.
  2. Accountability — A way to check if our assumptions are correct and lay out a plan for tracking impact over time.

43

7

44 of 53

Theory of Change

Activity instructions:

  1. Start with the desired impact and work backwards: Fill out the result statement, then the outcomes and intermediate outcomes, the outputs, the activities and finally the people that should be involved.
  2. Update as you learn from implementing your idea to capture ways it evolves and changes.

TOOLS

44

7

PDF POSTER VERSION ENG

FACILITATOR PREPARATION

Print one copy for each group.

Modify and/or translate to fit the challenge.

Editable version available on next slide.

45 of 53

Theory of Change

How

What

Why

INPUTS

ACTIVITIES

OUTPUTS

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES

OUTCOMES

IMPACT

If these people

anyone who uses, administers, or

manages the idea

Do these activities

prioritized ideas after

prototyping

We will see this

immediate change

something created, repaired,

improved

That builds towards changed drivers of

behavior/influence

Leading to �changed behavior/

performance

And results in

measurable change

(results statement)

46 of 53

46

Know your audience

(& don’t make assumptions)

PERSONA

2

1

3

7

8

9

4

5

6

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

47 of 53

Identify ‘barriers’ to seeking/ supporting immunization

Identify ‘enablers’ to positively support or make attending immunization services easy

Identify 1-3 starting ideas per persona

47

A

B

C

Consider every point of an experience (service or behavior): before, during and after the action.

JOURNEY MAP – BARRIERS

2

1

3

7

8

9

4

5

6

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

48 of 53

48

Insights arise from the different expectations, challenges, and roles within a community.

*based on The Behavioral Insights Team ‘EAST’ model

RAPID INQUIRY

TA Kalumbu

TEACHER

ADOLESCENT

2

1

3

7

8

9

4

5

6

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

49 of 53

49

Uncover themes – root causes and motivations in common

Identify opportunities and informed solutions to take forward

*based on The Behavioral Insights Team ‘EAST’ model

SYNTHESIS

2

1

3

7

8

9

4

5

6

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

50 of 53

Switch from linear, logical and critical thinking to creative and dynamic thinking.

Nudge behavior by making it easy, attractive, social and timely.

IDEA GENERATION

2

1

3

7

8

9

4

5

6

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

51 of 53

Bring something rough to the community so that they can give feedback.

Continue to adapt the solution as it scales up.

PROTOTYPING

2

1

3

7

8

9

4

5

6

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

52 of 53

Start with the desired impact and work backwards.

Make the difference between what we can influence and what we can control.

THEORY OF CHANGE

2

1

3

7

8

9

4

5

6

HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN TRAINING

53 of 53

hcd4health.org

thenucleusgroup.com

@TheNucleusGroup – IG

+

Creative commons license:

Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0

International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

You are free to:

  • Share — Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
  • Adapt — Remix, transform and build upon the material.

Under the following terms:

  • Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
  • NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
  • No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.