Training Workshops
Workshop 1
Designing & Using a Theory of Change
What will you learn? In this hands-on workshop you will learn about Theories of Change, create one, and learn skills to make good use of one. Participants will:
1.Gain a broad understanding of “Theory of Change”, its many uses ,and some of its misuses
2.Obtain tools and skills that will allow them to make the first draft of their own Theory of Change, or, to improve their Theory of Change if they already have one
3. Be able to use the Theory of Change approach to work more effectively with their colleagues across teams and organizations
What is the format? This is a 2 hour workshop and is a combination of discussions and hands on exercises.
Is there a prerequisite? No, no prior familiarity with Theory of Change is assumed.
Maximum Number of Participants: 25
Wondering if this workshop is for you? Past participants have been a mix of program planners, executive directors, senior management teams, community outreach workers, researchers, evaluators, and staff from marketing, fundraising, and communications departments.
Who will do the training? Roxana Salehi from Vitus Research and Evaluation will do the training. Roxana has a PhD in Community Health and her work focuses on research and evaluation of complex interventions. She is a Canadian Evaluation Society Credentialed Evaluator and a former Research and Evaluation Manager at United Way Toronto. She has both the theoretical background about the subject as well as the 'on the ground experience' of developing, revising, and using Theories of Change.
How do I know this is a good workshop? See for yourself what past workshop participants say here!
Director, Planning and Corporate Strategy [large funding agency]: Your workshop provided clarity, the penny dropped for many people, I am thrilled! Clarity is critical to all good planning and evaluation whether it is community impact work, fundraising, or some internal organization change you want to create
Senior Program Planner [Small NGO]: After 20 years, I finally got it!
Senior Manager, Marketing [Funding Agency]: I LOVED the presentation. The soup exercise was perfect for helping really make it both real, but also memorable.
Director, Operations and Account Services [Large NGO]: Roxana, your workshop was fantastic. Here’s what I particularly appreciated:
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The soup example was a great exercise to help us understand the specific elements of a theory of change
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You made the theory of change accessible to those of us who haven’t had the opportunity to learn about it – and have only heard it being referenced in a rather complex and opaque way
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Your approach was clear, friendly and informative
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You may it easy for people to ask questions and provided good answers
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It’s great for people to see an approach that they can draw from even if their particular project doesn’t require a formalized TOC. I can easily see this being adopted by many of us to help frame up what we are trying to achieve. Thank you so much for your excellent preparation and delivery of this workshop. It is the best example I have seen to-date of seeing how the expertise in one area of the organization can be shared to benefit many.
Senior Manager, Organizational Learning [Large NGO]: I like the clear language and the “making soup” example was a simple, yet understandable example to use to inform on the various parts of the theory of change. Obviously this has worked with residents and professionals – very creative on your part. I feel much more confident now on what ToC is.
Director- Strategy Development [Funding Agency]: The workshop was excellent. Very straight forward. A subject that is often presented in such a complicated way that it is hard to follow. The soup exercise was great!
How much does it cost? Contact roxana@vitus.ca for different costing options. Students and not-for-profit organizations are eligible for a discount.
Workshop 2:
Build a Monitoring & Evaluation framework for your
strategy, initiative, or program
What will you learn? In this hands-on workshop you will learn how to turn your Theory of Change into a practical Monitoring & Evaluation framework. participants will:
1.Gain a broad understanding of what constitutes a useful Monitoring & Evaluation
2. Learn how to create a simple M&E framework
What is the format? This is a 3 hour workshop and is a combination of discussions and hands on exercises.
Is there a prerequisite? Yes, familiarity with Theory of Change (workshop 1 above) is assumed.
Maximum Number of Participants: 25
Wondering if this workshop is for you? Past participants have been a mix of program planners, executive directors, senior management teams, community outreach workers, researchers, evaluators, and staff from marketing, fundraising, and communications departments.
Who will do the training? Roxana Salehi from Vitus Research and Evaluation will do the training. Roxana has a PhD in Community Health and her work focuses on research and evaluation of complex interventions. She is a Canadian Evaluation Society Credentialed Evaluator and a former Research and Evaluation Manager at United Way Toronto. She has both the theoretical background about the subject as well as the 'on the ground experience' of developing, revising, and using Theories of Change.
How do I know this is a good workshop? See for yourself what past workshop participants say!
How much does it cost? Contact roxana@vitus.ca for different costing options. Students and not-for-profit organizations are eligible for a discount.