scholarly journals Una economía política y cultural de las subvenciones estatales a la educación privada en Argentina

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Mauro Carlos Moschetti ◽  
Mauro Lauria Masaro
Keyword(s):  
Charter Schools ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Cultural Economy ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
Policy Sociology ◽  
Frequent Absence ◽  
Theories Of Change

In comparison with other forms of public-private partnerships (PPP) in education of more recent emergence such as voucher programs or charter schools inspired by the postulates of the theory of public choice, supply-side subsidies for private schools usually respond to less explicit theories of change. Indeed, most of these policies are addressed by specialized literature as unique and highly idiosyncratic arrangements, rather than examples of a particular variety of PPP. The frequent absence of a theory of change that explicitly presents the assumptions, objectives and mechanisms of this type of policy, makes it necessary to reconstruct it from a perspective of policy sociology based on the analysis of the behavior of agents and economic, political, institutional and cultural drivers that lie behind their adoption in each particular context. Based on a review of the literature and the analysis of the legislative debates of the 1947-2006 period, this article seeks to examine the process of adoption of the regulatory framework defined by the policy of supply-side subsidies for private schools in Argentina from an evolutionary perspective of political and cultural economy. The article distinguishes three periods for analytical purposes among which an evolutionary logic of nonlinear continuity prevails, subject to the contextual vagaries and driven by different actors in the field of ideas and political practice.

scholarly journals Theory of Change in Digital Behavior Change Interventions (Dbcis) And Community-Based Change Initiatives – A General Framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 554-569
Author(s):  
Dana Rad ◽  
Gavril Rad
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Change Initiatives ◽  
Complex Situation ◽  
Behavior Change Interventions ◽  
Intermediate Outcomes ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Theories Of Change

A theory of change is a purposeful model of how an initiative, such as a policy, a strategy, a program, a project or an intervention contributes through a chain of early and intermediate outcomes to the intended result. Theories of change help navigate the complexity of social change. Digital behavior change interventions (DBCIs) and Community-based change initiatives represent complex designable systems. The goal of the DCBI is to provide an effective theoretical framework for behavioral change to practitioners that offer different forms of psychological intervention based on scientifically validated practices. Applying theory of change when designing digital individual and community interventions for optimizing digital wellbeing helps practitioners to achieve results in practice, as this strategic approach is generally considered an evidence-based framework. Theory of change is useful to guide the strategic thinking and action, as most of DCBI/ Community-based change initiatives research endeavors are active in a complex situation, often unplanned events happening. Conclusions and implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Theory-of-Change Development for the Evaluation of Forest Stewardship Council Certification of Sustained Timber Yields from Natural Forests in Indonesia

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Romero ◽  
Francis Putz
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
Stock Depletion ◽  
Forest Enterprises ◽  
Theories Of Change ◽  
Audit Reports

To illustrate the importance of theories-of-change (ToCs) for evaluation of conservation interventions, we consider the global ToC from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and then develop a more explicit ToC focused on the sustained timber yield (STY) aspiration for natural forest management in Indonesia. We use these ToCs to consider certification implementation processes vis-à-vis indicators for STY extracted from FSC’s Indonesian Stewardship Standard that mentions STY explicitly in 45 and implicitly in 21 of 237 indicators. Analysis of 38 audit reports about 23 enterprises (2001–2017) revealed that only 77 of 504 major non-conformities assigned by auditors addressed STY. This apparent lack of attention to STY is surprising given the exhaustion of timber stocks in many production forests and the closure of many forest enterprises over the past two decades, but our ToC reveals numerous unsatisfied and unsatisfiable assumptions in certification that preclude detection of unsustainable harvests. Furthermore, compliance with governmental regulations on harvest intensities does not allow full timber recovery. To sustain yields, logging intensities need to be reduced and/or silvicultural treatments applied to increase yields, both of which reduce short-term profits. Declining yields might be accepted if the capacity of logged forests to grow timber is not impaired, but forest abandonment due to timber stock depletion is worrisome if it fosters illegal forest conversion.

The changer and the changed

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra L. Laursen ◽  
Kristine De Welde
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Gendered Organizations ◽  
Theories Of Change ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Over Time

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the evolving theories of change of the US National Science Foundation’s (NSF) ADVANCE program to increase the representation of women on academic faculties in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). ADVANCE supports efforts to transform the cultures and structures of US institutions of higher education by removing gendered barriers to STEM faculty women’s employment, advancement and success, and by developing change strategies that others may adopt.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical study is based on qualitative, longitudinal analysis of nine requests for proposals (RfPs) for the ADVANCE program (2001–2016), complemented by historical analysis of funded ADVANCE projects using public records.FindingsThe analysis identifies changes over time that suggest shifts in NSF’s rationale and theory of change for ADVANCE. Increased guidance directs how institutions should best undertake change, document outcomes and share best practices. The RfPs reveal growing attention to equity, rather than simply to representation, and to intersectionality – how gender, race, social class and other identities intersect to produce disparate experiences and outcomes for individuals differently positioned in social systems. Gendered organizations theory helps to place these experiences and outcomes in a structural context. Iterative processes of organizational learning are postulated to account for these changes over time.Originality/valueWhile many studies have examined ADVANCE projects’ activities and outcomes, none have examined the premises and design of the ADVANCE program itself. This analysis offers insight into how the ADVANCE RfP has driven innovation and learning about transformative institutional change to advance gender equity in STEM.

scholarly journals The effect of behavioural interventions targeting hand hygiene practices among nurses in high-income hospital settings: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline Sands ◽  
Alexander M. Aiken ◽  
Oliver Cumming ◽  
Robert Aunger
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
High Income ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Behaviour Change Techniques ◽  
Temporal Shift ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Theories Of Change

Abstract Background Hand hygiene is a critical behaviour for infection control but efforts to raise compliance among clinical professionals have been met with mixed success. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the effectiveness of the behaviour change techniques utilised in recent hand hygiene interventions that seek to improve hand hygiene compliance among nurses in hospitals in high-income countries. Nurses are at the frontline of healthcare delivery, and so improving their HH behaviour and thus increasing HHC rates will have a relatively large impact on reducing transmission and preventing healthcare acquired infections. Methods High-quality studies among nurses in high-income countries were surveyed from the scientific literature, following PRISMA guidelines, to identify which kinds of behaviour change mechanisms have been used to effectively increase hand hygiene compliance. Only seven studies met all inclusion criteria. A formal meta-analysis was not conducted due to the heterogeneity of the included studies. Instead, the review analysed studies in line with the Intervention Component Analysis approach to identify which differences in intervention characteristics appear to be important. Analysis proceeded in two steps: first, the Effective Practice and Organization of Care Data Extraction Checklist was used to identify the study design and to describe the intervention, target population, setting, results, outcome measures, and analytic approach. The second step involved inferring the behavioural change techniques used in the complex study interventions. Following coding, logic models were then inferred for each study to identify the Theory of Change behind each intervention. These Theories of Change were then examined for suggestions as to which BCTs were likely to have been responsible for any effectiveness observed. Results Goals and planning (to achieve specific ends), comparison of behaviour (to peers or some ideal) and feedback and monitoring (observing and providing feedback about behaviour or outcomes) were the most frequently used behaviour change technique groupings used across studies and within interventions. Conclusion The complexity of the interventions used and lack of sufficient studies makes assignment of responsibility for behaviour change to specific behaviour change techniques difficult. Delivery channels and activities identified in the study Theories of Change were also highly individualized and so difficult to compare. However, we identified a temporal shift in types of techniques used in these recent studies on HH interventions, as compared with studies from prior to the review period. These newer interventions did not focus on providing access to alcohol-based hand rub or trying to solely encourage administrative support. Instead, they had nurses create goals and plan how to best facilitate HH, compared both individuals’ and the group’s behaviour to others, and focused on providing feedback.

Epilogue

2020 ◽  
pp. 181-184
Author(s):  
Mark Boonshoft
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Charter Schools ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
Educational Inequality ◽  
The United States ◽  
Education For All

The epilogue briefly charts how Americans forgot about academies, but also how their legacy continues to shape educational inequality in the United States. In particular, it looks at how private schools and charter schools allow the elite to continue to educate their children at the expense of education for all.

Assessing the theory of change in national strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-263
Author(s):  
Cathryn Quantic Thurston
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
National Level ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Strategic Assessment ◽  
Conflict Resolution Strategy ◽  
Resolution Strategy ◽  
Theories Of Change ◽  
Operational Assessment

The theory of change links a strategy’s theory about the source of the conflict and the intervention philosophy to the implementation of programs and activities in the field. This paper focuses on strategic assessment at the national level, a step above the operational assessment at the departmental or agency level. The paper first discusses the importance of understanding a strategy’s theory of change and how policymakers at the national level think about the problem and how to intervene. The paper uses counterterrorism and conflict resolution strategy as examples. The author discusses two special challenges: how policymakers frame the desired outcome, and multiple theories. The author argues for strategic assessment officers to discuss a strategy’s theory or theories of change so that policymakers and national-level leaders can better understand how different theories drive their intervention plans and strategies. By improving policymakers’ understanding of their theory of change, and improve the clarity of the desired outcomes, strategic assessment officers can better measure the effectiveness of national-level strategies.

Hearts and Minds First: Institutional Logics in Pursuit of Educational Equity

2020 ◽  
pp. 0013161X2094745
Author(s):  
Ann M. Ishimaru ◽  
Mollie K. Galloway
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Organizational Policies ◽  
Theories Of Change ◽  
Hearts And Minds

Purpose:Despite an explosion of professional development to help educators discuss issues of race and equity, expectations for addressing racial disparities outstrip current leadership practices, and scant empirical research exists on the organizational changes that emerge from the work of equity teams. This study examined equity teams’ theories of organizational change for equity and how those theories related to their efforts to change school policies and practices. Research Methods/Approach: Drawing on institutional logics from organizational theory, this comparative case study examined transcripts and fieldnotes from 22 meetings and 27 interviews with two school equity teams in diverse contexts in the Pacific Northwest. Findings: Despite differences in the principals, team conversations, and organizational contexts, we found that both teams’ discussions asserted a primary theory of change for shifting schools toward greater equity. According to this “commonsense” notion, efforts to become more equitable as a school first require shifts in individuals’ understandings, beliefs, and attitudes—changes to “hearts and minds”— prior to engaging in other actions to address organizational change. Ultimately, our findings suggest that the dominance of a hearts-and-minds-first theory of change constrained changes to organizational policies, structures and practices. Conclusions: Alternative theories of change to catalyze equity-focused organizational shifts hold promise for fostering educational justice. Future participatory design research with schools may yield knowledge of multiyear organizational change.

scholarly journals Transparency in Environmental and Resource Governance: Theories of Change for the EITI

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Philippe Le Billon ◽  
Päivi Lujala ◽  
Siri Aas Rustad
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Extractive Industries ◽  
Resource Governance ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Effective Change ◽  
Governance Model ◽  
Core Principle ◽  
Theories Of Change

Abstract Transparency is now a core principle in environmental and resource governance. Responding to calls for a clearer identification of pathways from transparency to effective change, this article identifies three “Theories of Change” for governance-by-disclosure and applies them to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Among the best known global transparency initiatives, the EITI has used an inclusive multistakeholder governance model and elaborate compliance standards, disclosing trillions of dollars in natural resource revenues. Yet, after two decades, the EITI is still largely without an explicit and proven theory. This study finds that a Theory of Change for the EITI is possible, valuable, and even necessary as the EITI risks becoming obsolete in some participating countries. The proposed Theories of Change provide valuable templates for environmental and resource governance, yet such models need to reflect national contexts, needs, challenges, and objectives to ensure fit and effective implementation, including measures enforcing accountability.

scholarly journals Theory of Change Analysis: Building Robust Theories of Change

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Mayne
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Il Y A ◽  
Theories Of Change

Models for theories of change vary widely as do how they are used. What constitutes a good or robust theory of change has not been discussed much. This article sets out and discusses criteria for robust theories of change. As well, it discusses how these criteria can be used to undertake a vigorous assessment of a theory of change. A solid analysis of a theory of change can be extremely useful, both for designing or assessing the designs of an intervention as well as for the design of monitoring regimes and evaluations. The article concludes with a discussion about carrying out a theory of change analysis and an example.L’utilisation qui est faite de modèles de théories du changement varie grandement. Par ailleurs, il y a peu de discussion sur ce qui constitue une bonne ou solide théorie du changement. Le présent article décrit et analyse les critères de détermination de la robustesse d’une telle théorie. De plus, il discute de la façon dont ces critères peuvent servir à l’évaluation rigoureuse d’une théorie du change-ment. Une analyse approfondie d’une théorie du changement peut être extrêmement utile, autant pour concevoir ou évaluer la conception d’une intervention, que pour concevoir des évaluations et systèmes de monitorage. L’article se termine avec une discussion sur l’analyse d’une théorie du changement et un exemple.

scholarly journals Using theories of change to design monitoring and evaluation of community engagement in research: experiences from a research institute in Malawi

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Gooding ◽  
Regina Makwinja ◽  
Deborah Nyirenda ◽  
Robin Vincent ◽  
Rodrick Sambakunsi
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Intermediate Outcomes ◽  
Evaluation Staff ◽  
Research Organisations ◽  
Theories Of Change

Background: Evaluation of community and public engagement in research is important to deepen understanding of how engagement works and to enhance its effectiveness. Theories of change have been recommended for evaluating community engagement, for their ability to make explicit intended outcomes and understandings of how engagement activities contribute to these outcomes. However, there are few documented examples of using theories of change for evaluation of engagement. This article reports experience of using theories of change to develop a framework for evaluating community engagement in research at a clinical research organisation in Malawi. We describe the steps used to develop theories of change, and the way theories of change were used to design data collection plans. Based on our experience, we reflect on the advantages and challenges of the theory of change approach. Methods: The theories of change and evaluation framework were developed through a series of workshops and meetings between engagement practitioners, monitoring and evaluation staff, and researchers. We first identified goals for engagement, then used ‘so that’ chains to clarify pathways and intermediate outcomes between engagement activities and goals. Further meetings were held to refine initial theories of change, identify priority information needs, and define feasible evaluation methods. Results: The theory of change approach had several benefits. In particular, it helped to construct an evaluation framework focused on relevant outcomes and not just activities. The process of reflecting on intended goals and pathways also helped staff to review the design of engagement activities. Challenges included practical considerations around time to consider evaluation plans among practitioners (a challenge for evaluation more generally regardless of method), and more fundamental difficulties related to identifying feasible and agreed outcomes. Conclusions: These experiences from Malawi provide lessons for other research organisations considering use of theories of change to support evaluation of community engagement.

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