The contribution of a ‘synergic theory of change’ approach to democratising evaluation

Karen Laing

doi:10.14324/rfa.06.1.08

Abstract

This paper focuses on an evaluation of three projects working with young people in innovative ways to tackle societal alcohol misuse. Rather than presenting the findings of the evaluation per se, the paper presents learning from using theory-based approaches in a collaborative way to evaluate these complex, multi-strand initiatives. Traditional evaluations conducted by academics without collaboration with stakeholders can fail to meet the needs of those delivering interventions. Drawing on interviews with practitioners involved in delivering the projects, the paper adds new evidence to epistemological debates by introducing the notion of a ‘synergic theory of change’, whereby academic expertise and the skills, knowledge and experiences of stakeholders are subject to dialogue, and a theory of change becomes the result of collaborative consensus building. This way of using theory of change in evaluation requires researchers to work in a spirit of co-production and dialogue, and it can move evaluation away from being an exercise that seeks to judge interventions and, by extension, practitioners, to one which prioritises a shared learning journey. Using a synergic theory of change approach has the potential to change the nature of evaluation and lead to a different kind of relationship between researchers and practitioners than traditional methods-based approaches allow.

Highlights

Drawing on interviews with practitioners involved in delivering the projects, the paper adds new evidence to epistemological debates by introducing the notion of a ‘synergic theory of change’, whereby academic expertise and the skills, knowledge and experiences of stakeholders are subject to dialogue, and a theory of change becomes the result of collaborative consensus building
Existing models of academic evaluation of service delivery vary, but they usually have at their heart an ambition to understand interventions or initiatives, and/or to assess the extent to which they meet their objectives in terms of what they are intended to achieve
This paper provides a counter to those deficit notions of practitioners and evaluation, and it explores how adopting a collaborative approach to using theory-based evaluation approaches can, in the right circumstances, work to harness and value the expertise of all involved, but it requires a change in approach by researchers to be effective

Summary

Introduction

Much attention has concentrated in recent years on the need for professionals to work together in order to deliver the most effective services and to achieve the best outcomes for children, families and communities, in the belief that the holistic solutions offered by a multi- or inter-agency response are more effective at tackling complex social problems (Melville et al, 2015). Their previous experience of reporting to funders from self-evaluations was often based on the evidence of delivery and some assessment of end outcomes, but did not require the level of self-reflection or criticality that was involved in developing, evidencing and reviewing a synergic theory of change, and implementing changes in practice as a result.

Results

Conclusion