Theory of Change: From Activities to Impact

Self-Study Certificate Course

What's Your Theory of Change?

Proposals fail when donors can't follow your logic. More and more are asking this question—and too many organizations struggle to answer it convincingly. In humanitarian and development work, traditional planning tools alone aren't always enough. Donors want to see your deeper thinking: the assumptions behind your logic and exactly how change happens in your context. Without a rigorous Theory of Change, organizations face:

• Rejected proposals when donors can't follow your logic from activities to impact
• Projects built on flawed assumptions about how change happens
• Wasted efforts implementing activities that don't create transformation
• Teams working hard without understanding how their efforts combine
• Missing what actually drives change in your specific context

This practical training introduces a more strategic and deliberate way of planning for change. You'll work backwards from your desired impact, surface hidden assumptions, and build theories that satisfy donors while guiding implementation. Through Theory of Change development, you can:

• Answer "What's your theory of change?" with confidence and clarity
• Work backwards from desired impact to design what's actually needed
• Question and validate assumptions at every level of your design
• Create and present compelling causal pathways that donors understand
• Align teams for greater impact

Who This Is For

This training is for people working in relief, development, or humanitarian contexts who need to map out exactly how their work leads to real change. It's ideal for:

• Project planners connecting activities to outcomes with structured tools
• M&E professionals clarifying and measuring community impact
• Program managers communicating project logic to donors and communities
• Proposal writers strengthening their projects' theoretical foundations
• Field staff building participatory TOC frameworks for local ownership

No prior experience needed—the course delivers clear, practical guidance for newcomers while providing strategic insights and advanced applications for seasoned practitioners.

How You'll Learn

This course offers a self-paced, practical learning experience, combining study materials, reflections, exercises, and end-of-module assessments. Designed around the real-world challenges faced by humanitarian and development professionals, the course encourages you to pause, reflect, and actively develop skills you can confidently apply to your own context as you learn.

Flexible self-study Access practical downloadable video presentations, transcripts, handouts, exercises, templates and tasks, allowing you to learn and apply skills at your own pace.

Knowledge checks Assessments at the end of each module test your understanding, reinforce learning, and help you reflect on key concepts.

Course Discussion Forum Share questions, insights, and challenges with peers. Instructor Neil Kendrick monitors and responds regularly to support your progress.

Certificate of completion Successfully complete all modules and assessments to receive your certificate.

Impact Stories

9.3/10 Rating (based on 57 reviews)

"Finally, a systematic approach that works. We just submitted a proposal to USAID and they specifically praised our Theory of Change section. First time in 8 years we got approved without revisions." — Patricia Nkomo, Program Director, Health Alliance Zimbabwe

"I've been winging it with TOCs for years. Module 2 on assumptions was eye-opening - last month we caught a major flaw in our water project design that would have caused problems 6 months down the line." — Carlos Mendez, Planning Officer, WASH Consortium Colombia

"The session on participatory methods changed everything. We used to write TOCs in the office, now communities map their own change pathways. Our latest evaluation showed 73% better community buy-in than previous projects." — Fatima Al-Rasheed, Country Manager, Yemen Red Crescent

Course Details

Includes:

• Lifetime access to comprehensive modules with downloadable videos, handouts, and transcripts
• Practical templates and planning tools for immediate application
• End-of-module assessments and certificate of completion
• Course discussion forum to share insights and questions with peers

Course developed and presented by Neil Kendrick, founder of ELD Impact, with 25+ years of experience training humanitarian professionals across 20+ countries.