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In 2015, SpunOut.ie celebrated its 10th year providing a service to young people in Ireland. It also marked a period of change for the organisation.
In 2014, due to funding cuts and instability, the organisation decided to focus all its energy on providing young people with information. It was the only project being funded at the time and we felt it was important to do one thing really well, rather than diluting our impact across multiple different projects.
The founder had moved on from the organisation in 2011 and in 2014 the founding board retired and were replaced with new directors. A number of key staff departed the organisation for pastures new around the same time.
Need for clear mission
For a small organisation, all of the above change has the potential to divert the mission off course or to change the culture, the ethos, or the spirit of the community behind SpunOut.ie.
Therefore it was really important for us to describe - unambiguously - the problem that it is the organisation is seeking to address and to clearly articulate SpunOut.ie’s proposed solution to that problem.
Process
Inspired by Roca’s excellent model of intervention (another term for Theory of Change), in 2016 we set out on our own journey to define the theory behind the change we believe we are making.
We did this in part to lay the foundation for a new strategic plan, but also to better measure, understand and communicate the impact of our work to our community, partners, funders and the public. Making a better case for support is the only way we’ll secure sustainable, multi-annual funding to be able to respond to the needs of our young readers.
Once we had finalised the Theory of Change, we then devised a Measurement Framework (the second piece of this jigsaw) and used both the Theory of Change and the Measurement Framework to create our first impact report (2017).
Check out our Theory of Change and Measurement Framework below, and let us know what you think! (ian@spunout.ie)
(You can also read this blog post from Sandra, the consultant who helped us develop this Theory of Change).
What our work contributes to: young people leading happier and healthier lives
Barriers and risks
We recognise that there may be obstacles that stand in the way of our theory of change. These are very wide-ranging and different for each individual. For example, young people may not recognise that they have a right to information or may seek information from untrustworthy sources. They may struggle with literacy or lack access to technology. They may not be sufficiently motivated or confident to act or they may not be in an environment that allows them to act.
Our assumptions
How we know this
Policy framework
International research
Irish research
Our own knowledge