Coached Program: Theory of Change: From Activities to Impact: 18 November - 16 December 2025
Map clear pathways connecting activities to measurable outcomes that satisfy donor requirements and guide implementation.
Enroll NowCoached Online Learning Program
- Format: 5 Coached live sessions plus self-study
- Dates: 26 August - 23 September 2025
- Live Sessions: Tuesdays at 10:00-11:30 UTC
- Time Commitment: 4-5 hours per week over 5 weeks
- Investment: $495 (or $395 for limited budgets)
- Download Course Details (PDF)
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
- Reduced community impact when interventions don't align with local realities
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.
Your Instructor
With over 25 years of expertise, Neil Kendrick, founder of ELD Impact, specializes in Professional Writing, Reporting Skills, Proposal Writing, Results-Based Management, and Monitoring & Evaluation. Originally from the UK and now based in Turkey, Neil has trained and coached humanitarian and development professionals across more than 20 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
Regularly praised for his ability to demystify complex topics, Neil makes challenging concepts accessible to practitioners at any level - from field staff in rural NGOs to program managers in multilateral organizations.
How You'll Learn: Coached Interactive Workshops
Coached meetings are interactive skill-building workshops where you work alongside an expert to develop practical capabilities through real challenges.
What makes this different:
- Thinking partner approach - The coach asks probing questions and helps you work through your actual Theory of Change challenges, not just deliver content
- Personalized attention - Small groups (max 8) allow deeper exploration of your specific context and projects
- Hands-on practice - You actively build your Theory of Change during sessions and see techniques applied to real examples
- Collaborative problem-solving - Focus on "what might work for your situation" rather than one-size-fits-all solutions
- Immediate application - You build working frameworks and tools you can use right away
Think of it as cooking alongside a chef rather than just reading a cookbook - you practice the skills while getting real-time guidance tailored to your specific needs.
Program Structure:
- Weekly live sessions: 90-minute interactive workshops with maximum 8 participants
- Apply between sessions: Practice concepts in your actual work, then bring insights back to the group
- Self-paced materials: Videos, templates and tools to work through between sessions
- Personalized feedback: Submit your Theory of Change for detailed video feedback
- Impact Community: Ongoing support after the course
What You'll Learn
Click any week to see detailed content
- Welcome to the Course
- Course Logistics
- Meeting Guidelines
- Watch: Introduction to Theory of Change
- Watch: The Importance of TOC in Relief, Humanitarian and Development Work
- Pre-Meeting Task: Your Expectations
- Meeting 1: Orientation
- Foundations of Theory of Change - Overview
- Importance of Recognizing and Addressing Assumptions in TOC
- Goals, Outcomes and Impact in Theory of Change
- Mapping Causal Pathways
- Progress Assessment
- Reflection & Application
- Discussion
- Meeting 2: Foundations of Theory of Change
- Theory of Change in Practice - Overview
- Assumptions in Practice in Theory of Change
- Building Partnerships - Stakeholder Engagement in Theory of Change Development
- Partnership Case Study - Community Resilience
- Partnership Case Study - Social Inclusion
- Integrating Theory of Change into Project Logic Models and Frameworks
- Linking Activities, Outputs, Outcomes and Impacts
- Progress Assessment
- Reflection & Application
- Discussion
- Meeting 3: Theory of Change in Practice
- Addressing Complexity & Context-Specific Factors - Overview
- Complexity and Context-Specific Factors in Project Planning
- Importance of Adaptability and Flexibility in Theory of Change
- Incorporating Participatory Approaches
- Utilizing Systems Thinking in TOC
- Addressing Power Dynamics
- Importance of Contextual Analysis
- Building Partnerships and Collaboration
- Monitoring and Evaluation for Learning
- Addressing Complexity - Case Study - Disaster Response
- Addressing Complexity - Case Study - Humanitarian Assistance
- Addressing Complexity - Case Study - Agricultural Development
- Progress Assessment
- Reflection & Application
- Discussion
- Meeting 4: Addressing Complexity & Context-Specific Factors in TOC
- Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptive Management - Overview
- Collecting Data to Measure Progress and Outcomes
- Designing Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Frameworks Based on Theory of Change Principles
- Adaptive Management and Course Correction in Theory of Change
- Case Studies and Best Practices
- Steps to Creating a Theory of Change
- Lessons Learned and Next Steps
- Progress Assessment
- Reflection & Application
- Discussion
- Consolidation and Application - Overview
- Meeting 5: Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptive Management
- Action Planning
- Post-Course Assignment
- Your Next Steps
- Feedback & Final Questions
Impact Stories
9.3/10 Rating (based on 57 reviews)
"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 took several courses on the Theory of Change, but Neil's teaching approach is practical, elaborative, and comprehensive."
— Mir Ahmed
"It thoroughly covers Theory of Change practices and effectively addresses complexity and context-specific factors with practical examples."
— Vamathevan Valavan, Sri Lanka
Course Details
Start: 26 August 2025
Duration: 5 weeks (4-5 hours per week: 90-minute live session + 3 hours self-study)
Investment: $495 (or $395 for limited budgets)
Group Size: Maximum 8 participants
Includes:
- Lifetime access to all course materials (videos, handouts, templates, transcripts)
- Five 90-minute live coaching sessions with expert facilitator
- Personalized video feedback on your assignment (72-hour turnaround)
- End-of-module assessments
- Certificate of completion and letter of achievement
- Post-training access to Theory of Change Impact Community
Payment Options: To enroll, pay by credit card below. Both options include identical training and materials - choose the standard fee or reduced fee based on your budget.
Get Started
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