Assumptions, conjectures, and other miracles: The application of evaluative thinking to theory of change models in community development.
Unexamined and unjustified assumptions are the Achilles' heel of development programs. In this paper, we describe an evaluation capacity building (ECB) approach designed to help community development practitioners work more effectively with assumptions through the intentional infusion of evaluative thinking (ET) into the program planning, monitoring, and evaluation process. We focus specifically on one component of our ET promotion approach involving the creation and analysis of theory of change (ToC) models. We describe our recent efforts to pilot this ET ECB approach with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Ethiopia and Zambia. The use of ToC models, plus the addition of ET, is a way to encourage individual and organizational learning and adaptive management that supports more reflective and responsive programming.
Virginia Tech, Agricultural, Leadership, & Community Education (0343), Litton-Reaves Hall, Rm. 284, 175 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States. Electronic address: tgarch@vt.edu.
Thomas
T
Archibald
Catholic Relief Services, 228W. Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States. Electronic address: guy.sharrock@crs.org.
Guy
G
Sharrock
JCB Consulting, Evaluativethinkingcapacity.com, 68 Chesapeake Landing, West Henrietta, NY 14586, United States. Electronic address: janecameronbuckley@gmail.com.
Jane
J
Buckley
Virginia Tech, Agricultural, Leadership, & Community Education (0343), Litton-Reaves Hall, Rm. 284, 175 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States.
Natalie
N
Cook
D057191:Capacity Building / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005002:Ethiopia; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design; D015024:Zambia
Assumptions; Community development; Critical thinking; Evaluation capacity building; Evaluative thinking; International development; Theory of change