Theory of Change

PAL’s strategic planning committee recently updated our Theory of Change model. This is different from a strategic and operational plan. And so what is it? A Theory of Change is an argument for how an organization turns community resources (money, volunteers, clients, staff, materials) into positive change. Our first one was completed in 2013 and so it was time to revisit.

 

The short term measures look at changes to units produced as a direct result of organization activities. Intermediate-term outcomes look at changes in the lives of individuals, and long-term are often evident in changes to communities, systems, and individuals. Our next step is putting measurements to the short and intermediate-outcomes to ensure the health changes that we commit to achieving.