Trains, planes and Theory of Change?
Trains, planes and Theory of Change make perfect sense in my mind, especially after a week of travel delays.
I like to feel relaxed when I travel or at least in control, and lovely though Peterborough Station is I have spent too much time admiring it's platforms.
Every timetable or journey change used to feel like a transport fairy died but then I started to anticipate change and make a contingency plan.
Projects are like travel they take us from place to place, and sometimes we find ourselves getting lost or delayed or simply straying from the route.
Like my contingency plan Logic and Theory of Change Models help us negotiate our project journeys and prepare for detours.
Whilst both of them can help you to plan your journey they do this in slightly different ways.
Theory of Change models think about the bigger picture and the things that might impact on your journey, they can help you to anticipate the other routes that you might take should something change.
In my mind a logic model will get you from A-B without much distraction. Simple and unfussy they show you a logical linear pathway through, one step follows another.
Working with Logic and Theory of Change models doesn't just help you plan your journey they can help you to reflect and evaluate the path you take, they can identify your outputs and outcomes and monitor your project.
Deciding which model is best for you comes down to understanding more about what you hope to gain from your journey and how you want to get there.