Short Abstract

A theory of change (ToC) in Social Return on Investment (SROI) is a useful to identify, measure and value programme impact. Gaps exist in how ToCs have been developed. The development of a robust ToC is essential in SROI evaluation with effective stakeholder engagement central to this.

Description

A theory of change (ToC) is critical for understanding the relationship between the activities, inputs, outputs and outcomes of programmes. In a Social Return on Investment (SROI), ToC has been advocated as a useful process to assist in the identification and subsequent measurement and valuation of programmes activities, outcomes and impact. Despite its utility within SROI, gaps exist in how theories of change have been developed as reporting tends to be brief and scant. Stakeholder engagement methods are seldom clearly documented and integrated in the reporting of SROI analyses. We used ToC in an SROI evaluation of two programmes delivered by a football foundation aimed at young people. In this study we used focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews to collect data to inform the development of the ToC and to ensure all activities and outcomes were captured from the perspective of all stakeholders. Data collection involved four focus groups of ten participants each and fifteen interviews were conducted with delivery staff; organisation and service leads; and funders and partners. Focus groups and interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to develop codes and themes. The analysis identified similar themes across the two programmes including social skills, friendship, health and wellbeing, personal development, participation, lifestyle changes and programme structure; with a few unique to each programme. Stakeholder engagement was found to enhance the process of theory of change development by prioritising the input of those involved in the participation, delivery and support of the programmes under evaluation. We conclude that the development of a robust ToC is essential in any SROI evaluation and that effective stakeholder engagement is central to this. The ToC will also act as a tool to illustrate how the programmes create change, assess their effectiveness and communicate this to stakeholders.