Theory of Change in Multi-country Advocacy Programmes: Usage, Relevance and Implications for Local Ownership

Theory of change is often endorsed and used to support within-country programming. This country-level use, however, remains unexplored. This study investigates country-level use in a multi-country advocacy programme to understand its local operation and effects. In line with prescriptions, it focuses on adaptability to country-specific conditions. Examining experiences of staff of civil society organizations involved, this article finds that theory of change provides guidance and coordination for local actors, that it has limited relevance for strategizing and that it fails to recognize local assets on which outcomes depend. The article concludes that the manner in which theory of change is used can either handicap or facilitate local ownership of advocacy. It concludes by offering a way of approaching theory of change that is more sensitive to the local assets and ownership on which advocacy outcomes are dependent.