A theory of change tells the story of why change is needed and how that change is expected to happen. It sets out the long-term goals, then looks at the barriers to achieving those goals, and the changes needed to overcome the barriers. It ensures that the activities included in it, lead to the material change an organisation wants to achieve.
See the below image for BCT's Theory of Change. Starting at the bottom and moving up:
- We need to be aware of some key assumptions which will shape how to solve our problem
- Our main problem is that UK bat populations have declined significantly over the last century and, despite slow signs of recovery in some species, remain under threat
- Moving up, you can see the challenges we face when solving that problem
- And above that, the activities we are undertaking to solve the problem (which are connected with our five objectives)
- Finally, we have our desired outcomes and the ultimate impact
