How can a Theory of Change framework be applied to short-term international volunteering?
Short-term international volunteering has become enormously popular among individuals from high-income countries who travel to low-income countries to offer support on initiatives often related to health and development. However, their impact on global development is questionable, particularly when volunteer skills are not matched to local needs, or when teams operate outside the local health system. Furthermore, the impact of these volunteer programs is rarely evaluated. Theory of Change is a framework for program design meant to facilitate measurable social change. We propose that a Theory of Change framework, appropriately deployed in the design and conduct of short-term international volunteerism, could help improve volunteer efforts by identifying problems and clearly defining goals, designing and implementing effective strategies, and evaluating the real impacts these have on identified concerns.
The Human Biology Program, Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3J6 Canada.
Bethina
B
Loiseau
The Human Biology Program, Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3J6 Canada.
Darren
D
Benedict
The Human Biology Program, Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3J6 Canada.
Rebekah
R
Sibbald
The Human Biology Program, Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3J6 Canada.
Salem A
SA
Raman
Division of Clinical Public Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7 Canada The 53rd Week Ltd., Brooklyn, NY 11249, USA.
Lawrence C
LC
Loh
Division of Clinical Public Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7 Canada Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 3A9 Canada Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4 Canada Department of Human Pathology, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 00200, Kenya helen.dimaras@utoronto.ca.
Helen
H
Dimaras
D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D006077:Government Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D012922:Social Change; D014838:Volunteers
Developing world; Global development; Global health; Short-term volunteer; Theory of Change; Voluntourism