Building Collaborative Capacity through `Theories of Change'

In the UK a great deal of attention is currently focused on the potential of the `theories of change' approach to evaluating complex public policy interventions. However, there is still relatively little empirical material describing its application. This article discusses the use of `theories of change' in the national evaluation of English Health Action Zones (HAZs). It locates `theories of change' within the wider context of evaluation approaches and assesses its strengths and weaknesses as an evaluation framework. The article then focuses on a key aspect of complex public policy interventions — cross-sector collaboration. Drawing on data about cross-sector partnerships and community involvement from the English HAZ evaluation, the article explores the contribution of `theories of change' towards examining the building of collaborative capacity in HAZs. The article also describes the `co-research' approach being employed within the national HAZ evaluation. It discusses how this approach can complement the use of `theories of change', contribute to managing change within organizations and communities and facilitate more effective use of evaluation within a local health context.

[1]  David M. Fetterman,et al.  Empowerment evaluation : knowledge and tools for self-assessment & accountability , 1996 .

[2]  S. Cropper.  Collaborative Working and the Issue of Sustainability , 1996 .

[3]  N. Bailey,et al.  Partnership Agencies In British Urban Policy , 1995 .

[4]  S. Osborne.  Public-Private Partnerships: Theory and Practice in International Perspective , 2000 .

[5]  John Gyford.  Citizens, Consumers and Councils: Local Government and the Public , 1991 .

[6]  J. K. Benson.  The Interorganizational Network as a Political Economy , 1975 .

[7]  J. Cowley.  Community or class struggle , 1977 .

[8]  C. Skelcher.  Changing images of the State: overloaded, hollowed-out, congested , 2000 .

[9]  Janet Newman.  Beyond the vision: Cultural change in the public sector , 1994 .

[10]  M. Bradford,et al.  An evaluation of Urban Policy , 1995 .

[11]  Brian D. Jacobs.  Strategy and partnership in cities and regions : economic development and urban regeneration in Pittsburgh, Birmingham and Rotterdam , 2000 .

[12]  C. Huxham.  Creating Collaborative Advantage , 1997 .

[13]  Brian Hardy,et al.  In Pursuit of Inter-Agency Collaboration In The Public Sector , 1999 .

[14]  Brian Robson,et al.  Assessing the Impact of Urban Policy , 1994 .

[15]  Marian Barnes,et al.  Spoilt for choice? How consumerism can disempower public service users , 1995 .

[16]  Na Na.  Strategy and Partnership in Cities and Regions: Economic Development and Urban Regeneration in Pittsburgh, Birmingham and Rotterdam , 2000 .

[17]  Huey-tsyh Chen.  Theory-driven evaluations , 1990 .

[18]  John Gyford.  Citizens, Consumers and Councils , 1991 .

[19]  Arthur Turovh Himmelman,et al.  On the Theory and Practice of Transformational Collaboration: From Social Service to Social Justice , 1996 .

[20]  Chris Skelcher,et al.  The Dynamics of Multi‐organizational Partnerships: an Analysis of Changing Modes of Governance , 1998 .

[21]  C. Cockburn.  The local state: management of cities and people , 1977 .

[22]  Harris Caiklin.  Building Community: Social Science in Action , 1998 .

[23]  B. Peters,et al.  Governance, Politics and the State , 2000 .

[24]  M. S. de Vries,et al.  -- [Review of: D.M. Fetterman, S.J. Kaftarian (1997) Empowerment Evaluation: Knowledge and Tools for Self Assessment and Accountability] , 1997 .

[25]  James P. Connell and Anne C. Kubisch.  Applying a Theory of Change Approach to the Evaluation of Comprehensive Community Initiatives: Progress, Prospects, and Problems , 1998 .

[26]  Charles Leadbeater,et al.  Living on Thin Air , 1999 .

[27]  J. Emanuel,et al.  Action Research for Health and Social Care: a guide to practice , 1997 .

[28]  H. Sullivan,et al.  Doing 'joined-up' evaluation in community based regeneration , 2001 .

[29]  Angela Everitt,et al.  Evaluating for Good Practice , 1996 .

[30]  Roy Darke,et al.  Local government and the public , 1977 .

[31]  Peter H. Rossi,et al.  Evaluating With Sense , 1983 .