will happen. Theory of Change is a forecast that shows what conditions we believe must exist for other conditions to come into being. As it is forward looking and logical, Theory of Change reflects the way we think logically –that is, if a, then b—and chronologically—first this, then that. The linear format is therefore appropriate. It can be helpful to complement Theory of Change with a process model that shows how the Theory of Change fits into a larger, more cyclical scheme in which theory leads to action, which leads to monitoring and evaluation, which leads to adjustment of the theory, which leads to the next action, more monitoring and evaluation, and so on. Such a process model depicts the linear theory as a conceptual driver of change, which must, to remain useful, be accompanied not only by taking action but also by evaluation and recalibration. Getting ‘buy-in’ from senior leadership It is important to remember that it is often a high-level person who has endorsed and initiated the Theory of Change process as something of value, so they have “bought in” at the beginning. The challenge that emerges is, therefore, how to sustain their support while letting others develop the theory. This is similar to many other issues that come up in matters of hierarchy and delegation: effective leaders delegate and trust their teams to carry out the work. There are many variations on the model but usually it involves good measures of delegation and, conversely, of reporting back to get the leader's thinking as the work progresses. It is necessary to come to high-level people having laid out your best thinking: don't go to them without something concrete to which they can respond, but don't wait until everything is perfect, either. See also Logic model Backcasting Critical theory Scenario planning Thought experiment References Sources Austin, J. and Bartunek, J. (2004) Theories and Practice of Organization Development. Handbook of Psychology, Vol.12 309–332. Chen, H.T., Rossi, P.H. Chen, H.T., & Rossi, P.H. (1980) ‘The multi-goal, theory-driven approach to evaluation: A model linking basic and applied social science’ in Social Forces, 59, 106–122. Chen, H.T., S. Mathison, Chen, H.T. (2005) ‘Theory-driven evaluation’ in S. Mathison (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Evaluation (pp. 415–419). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Clark, H. (2004) Deciding the Scope of a Theory of Change. New York: ActKnowledge monograph. Clark, H. and Taplin, D. (2012) Theory of Change Basics: A