What Change Are We Trying To Achieve? Theories of Change in Human Rights and Development

Few human rights or development agencies work with an explicit theory of change. It is much more common for agencies to have an implicit, partially formed theory of change. The objective of this research project is to explore what might be gained by bringing these explicit, partially formed theories of change to light. It addresses two core questions: What is gained by making theories of change explicit rather than implicit? And, what are the similarities and differences between human rights and development theories of change, and why is such an analysis useful? The potential advantage of rendering a theory of change explicit is that it provides a vantage point from which all aspects of organisational activity can be viewed, coordinated and, if necessary, reformed.