Change: Theory and Practice

“Education is the most powerful weapon 
which you can use to change the world.”

Nelson Mandela

Anderson in The Community Builder's  Approach to Theory of Change (2005, p. 2-6) prescribes the following path to elicit change:

1. Identify the social change wanted or long term goal
2. Map a pathway backwards to preconditions to achieve that goal
3. Map further back to what preconditions are needed for those outcomes
4. Map further back to the preconditions primarily needed to begin the process of change

This will include the identification of interventions required to achieve each outcome and indicators at each level of outcome to measure success.

Anderson provides a practical guide to facilitating a group through this process, including a case study, PowerPoint presentation and training materials.

Anderson, A. (2005). The Community Builder's Approach to Theory of Change: A Practical Guide to Theory and Development. New York: The Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change.