A starting point in action planning, monitoring and evaluation is to think about the Theory of Change. This is your plan of how a particular intervention will bring about your desired change. It often takes the form of a visual representation of a project’s inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impact, which helps you to see how different aspects of your project fit together to achieve your final goal.
There are many online resources about Theory of Change. We have brought together several from different sectors below. These are not endorsed by the University, but we hope you find them useful.
Theory of Change leader pack (Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in HE, King’s College London)
This pack explains what a Theory of Change (ToC) is and how it is developed. It also contains a ToC template. The materials are written in the context of widening student participation projects, but the principles can be applied to any EDI project.
Setting up a gender equality plan (European Institute for Gender Equality)
This is part of a toolkit developed by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). It provides advice on the details of your action plan, including devising objectives, targets, measures and timelines, as well as guidance about engaging colleagues and stakeholders. This resource includes written guidance, supported by videos and webinars, along with a range of additional tools and resources to explore.
Theory of Change Basics
This short handbook provides an overview of the different components of a Theory of Change and how to put together a ToC in a group setting.
Centre for Theory of Change community
This website provides lots of information about Theory of Change. Although some examples are focused on the international development sector, you should find them very relatable to work on EDI.
Webinar on action planning (Advance HE)
Advance HE recorded and uploaded this webinar on identifying your priorities and creating your action plan for Athena Swan in December 2021.
Webinar on action planning (Equality and Diversity Unit, Oxford)
This webinar was prepared by the EDU’s Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator in mid-2022. It uses the institutional gender equality plan as an example and explains how to use theory of change to inform the writing of your action plans.
How to write a logical framework (Tools4Dev)
A logical framework is a table that lists activities, outputs, outcomes and objectives. It is a tool used with theory of change and looks very similar to an action plan table. This webpage explains the relationships between these elements and should help you understand how elements of action plans are related to each other.
Social and behavioural change guidance (the pages on Create are related to action planning; read also Behavioural Insights and Social Norms if you’re changing a culture) (UNICEF)
This comprehensive yet easy-to-read guide produced by UNICEF is about promoting social and behavioural change, which is very relevant to EDI work. The guidance explains step by step how to plan actions and create strategies.
