Review of the use of ‘Theory of Change’ in international development - DFID - (2012)

According to the document, the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) commissioned this review of how theory of change is being used in order to learn from this growing area of practice. DFID has been working formally with theory of change in in its programming since 2010. The purpose was to identify areas of consensus, debate and innovation in order to inform a more consistent approach within DFID. The document had five main messages, outlined below:

1. Theory of change requires both logical thinking and deeper critical reflection

2. Consensus exists on the basic elements of theory of change

3. Theory of change is best kept flexible, not prescribed

4. Theory of change inspires and supports innovation and improvement in programmes

5. Working with theory of change requires performance management approaches to accommodate uncertainty and flexibility.