What’s your theory?
In my evaluation practice, it’s been surprising to me that the notion of ‘theory’ unnerves some people. It renders thoughts of Einstein and scientific inquiry that I think many shy away from, after all, they are just trying to run a business, an NGO, a government department. Who has time for theories? But with a little discussion, some collaborative work and digital technologies, many find it a benefit to think through a theory of how they will reach their goals, the underlying conditions that will help them and who needs to be involved for success to happen. Framed in such a way, theories are more easily digestible and what Evaluators refer to as Theories of Change.
Creswell dives in to theories extensively in conducting quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research. I found it interesting diving in to the various lenses of each approach. In summary:
- Quantitative theories look at hypotheses and test variables for significance in measurement or causality;
- Qualitative theory building “is an inductive process, building from data to broad themes and to a generalizable model or theory” which may align with specific perspectives, such as feminist, racialized or people with disabilities and;
- Mixed methods theories can either reflect discipline based ( that identify social, behavioural or health science constructs that are interrelated and examine them to explain certain phenomena, such as organizational, leadership or attribution) or social justice based (which help to amplify the viewpoints of underrepresented populations, such as rational or ethnic research, lifestyle research, feminish research.)
My work has more often than not been characterized by qualitative or mixed methods theories and developing Theories of Change can take the shape in many different forms. Better Evaluation is a fantastic resource for Evaluators. It is the knowledge platform for the Global Evaluation Initiative. which underscores the use of theories of change as a useful starting point.
Developing theories of change might begin by reviewing previous research and evaluation that has already been conducted in similar contexts and advance by leveraging several different tools and activities, such as those often geared towards strategic planning, like SWOT Analyses or group model building. I enjoy leading these activities and finding consensus amongst a group, which more often than not, didn’t realize they were working towards different objectives.
Reflective practice is a key competency of credentialed evaluators in Canada and a skill that is provoked in participating in theories of change discussions, while also motivating systemic and evaluative thinking in creating programs, implementing monitoring frameworks, understanding data and what evidence means in terms of realizing the theory of change and making decisions that generate results. Such reflections and learning are at the heart of evaluation and understanding why theories of change matter are just the beginning.