Coached Program: Theory of Change: From Activities to Impact: 19 August - 16 September 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: 19 August - 16 September 2025
- Live Sessions: Tuesdays at 10:00-11:30 GMT
- 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
This coached program blends live group sessions with self-paced learning for deeper skill development:
- Weekly live sessions: Join 90-minute interactive sessions with maximum 8 participants. Work through real challenges, receive targeted coaching, and learn from peers' experiences. All sessions are recorded.
- Apply between sessions: Time between weekly meetings lets you practice new concepts in your actual work, then bring insights and questions back to the group.
- Self-paced materials: Access videos, exercises, templates and tools to work through between sessions. Submit questions and examples from your practice for inclusion in the live meeting.
- Peer exchange: Share approaches and challenges with your group throughout the program. Learn from diverse perspectives while building your professional network.
- Personalized feedback: At the end of the training, submit an assignment based on your context and receive detailed video feedback.
- Impact Community: Join the Project Management Impact Community after the course, to support you further in integrating the skills.
What You'll Learn
Week 1: Introduction to Theory of Change
Understand why Theory of Change matters in humanitarian and development work. Learn to distinguish between goals, outcomes, and impact while recognizing the critical role of assumptions in your project design.
Week 2: Theory of Change in Practice
Map causal pathways that connect your activities to lasting change. Build effective partnerships through stakeholder engagement and learn to integrate Theory of Change into logical frameworks that donors expect.
Week 3: Addressing Complexity and Context
Navigate the complexities of real-world contexts using systems thinking and participatory approaches. Learn to address power dynamics and build adaptive theories that respond to changing circumstances.
Week 4: M&E and Adaptive Management
Design M&E frameworks based on Theory of Change principles. Master data collection for measuring progress and learn adaptive management techniques to course-correct when needed.
Week 5: Apply and Perfect
In the final meeting, we explore any outstanding questions. You then have one week to submit your assignment for personalized feedback.
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: 19 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.
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