Core tool
Theory of Change
in 10 minutes-ish
why 10 minutes?
Why a 10-minute Theory of Change?
Understanding and communicating what you do and the value you create is important.
A Theory of Change is one way of doing this. But often it's seen as something hard, complicated, something that needs an expert. Even the name comes across that way.
And yes, there are times when outside help is useful. But the experts you need are the people in and around your work.
So I challenged groups to create a Theory of Change in 10 minutes. Rather than frameworks, I gave them three metaphors — Journeys, Stones and ripples, Seeds and plants — and set them away.
Will it be perfect? No. Will it need doing again? Yes. But that's kind of the point.
The best tools are the ones you use. Making it easy for everyone to do this stuff, naturally and ongoing, can really help.
three metaphors
Three ways to tell your story
Pick the one that feels right for your work. Each asks the same core questions in a different way.
The Journey
The Ripple
The Seed
metaphor 01 · the journey
The Journey
Where are we now?
Where do we want to get to?
What's the path?
How do we know we're getting closer?
metaphor 02 · the ripple
The Ripple
The water
The context you work in — the challenge, the community, the need. Where you drop the stone shapes how ripples spread.
We drop a stone
The work we do, the activities we deliver.
It creates ripples
The immediate effects we can see and measure.
Those ripples spread outward
The longer-term change in the wider world.
metaphor 03 · the seed
The Seed
Growth takes time and the right conditions, but we can describe what we expect to see.
Seed
Conditions
Growth
Fruit
putting it together
Four simple questions
Instead of "inputs, outputs, outcomes, impact" — try these.
What's the challenge?
The problem you see in the world that motivates your work.
What would better look like?
The change you want to see — your vision.
What can we actually do?
Your activities — the things within your control.
How would we know it's working?
Signs of progress you can point to.
resilience
Why this matters
Why do we exist?
Not just "what do we do" — but why it matters.
What would be lost if we weren't here?
Your unique contribution to the change you want to see.
A compass for hard times
When purpose is clear, you have a compass for hard choices.
A clear theory of change is the backbone of your Purpose pillar.
The best tools are the ones you use.
Make it easy. Make it natural. Make it ongoing.