Take a Change-agent Challenge!

Your group or organization is about to undertake on a new project. As a group you’ve asked:

Why is this project important?

How does this project get to the change we seek?

What are our outcomes for this project?

How will these outcomes happen? (See the mini-steps from last week’s theory of change blog!).

There is excitement, creative brainstorming, goal setting, and a project vision that speaks to the proposed impact on the community. The group is poised and ready to “set out” and begin on the tasks of making the project happen. To-do lists are made, sub-committees begin to meet, and partnerships are a plenty! Awesome Village Raising stuff AND perhaps there is one more step to consider in this creative project process. Have you thought to ask others (beyond your group) about the impact, influence, and leverage of this project before you dive in to the nitty-gritty details?

We call this a theory of change approach or a “Change-agent Challenge” and it goes something like this:

1. For one week, speak to three people a day (including children and youth and family and friends, people on the street etc.) about the vision of your project. Do they understand the vision without too much explanation? Have they heard of your group and your mission before? What are their reactions?

2. Two weeks later – go back! Choose a sample of the people and go back and ask them to repeat the vision of the project! Do they remember the vision? Can they repeat it without prompts? How memorable is it?

3. Do these people feel the vision includes them? What part of the vision is open enough that it speaks to everyone? How is the language engaging and inclusive? Is it something they feel they can “get behind”? Why or why not?

4. Record all the reactions to the project’s vision. This input can provide valuable insight and evaluative “food for thought” for your collaborative group. How is the vision of this project inspiring community members to engage? How memorable is the vision of this project? Is there a need to “tweak”, add to, or simplify the vision of the project? Has anyone provided a comment that sparks a new idea?

Following these steps encourages the project group to look at that question of “How will we know if this project has impact” in a new way. Collaborative projects have the most impact when they nourish meaning and purpose for all group members and the broader community.

Village Raising Question
If you (or your group) had to identify in 20 words or less what this project stands for, what you believe, and what is truly critical about this work … what would those words be?

Village Raising Challenge
Talk to someone you have never met about your current projects! Rather than trying to persuade them to take part – listen deeply at their response. What is there to learn from this person? What lands as important (or not)?