Theory of Change Mapping in Global Development

Harvard Extension School

DEVP E-202

Section 1

CRN 17060

View Course Details
It is very easy for humans to come up with solutions to development problems we think we understand, but it is often much harder for us to capture the complexity of real-world contexts and explain why we think our solutions actually work in practice. This gap extends into strategic program design; it is not uncommon that the logic driving global sustainable development initiatives are not based upon a deep analysis of the actual context, but rather reflect the biases and assumptions of project planners and the organizations they represent. Overcoming these biases and assumptions requires intentional methods to foster discussions between planners and stakeholders. Theory of change mapping has emerged as a powerful tool for teams to work through these limitations. This course serves as a workshop for student practitioners to draw on their academic, lived, and professional experiences to explore how they can construct collaborative methods for mapping long-term change in complex social and environmental situations and at project, program, and policy levels. Through lectures, in-class exercises, and team projects, this course focuses on developing, in an integrated manner, the analytical skills to assess contexts, and the creative thinking and planning skills to identify and innovate solutions to tough challenges. It covers systems and problem analysis, theory of change mapping, participatory design, and tools for effective teamwork. Student teams work together on a semester-long project to develop a shared understanding of a real-life context and build a number of strategic pathways for long-term change and related projects to achieve concrete, short-term results.

Instructor Info

Joshua Ellsworth, MS

Program Fellow, Hartford International University for Religion and Peace


Meeting Info

M 5:10pm - 7:10pm (9/3 - 12/21)

Participation Option: Online Asynchronous or Online Synchronous

In online asynchronous courses, you are not required to attend class at a particular time. Instead you can complete the course work on your own schedule each week.

Deadlines

Last day to register: August 29, 2024

Notes

This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.

Syllabus

All Sections of this Course

CRN Section # Participation Option(s) Instructor Section Status Meets Term Dates
17060 1 Online Asynchronous, Online Synchronous Joshua Ellsworth Open M 5:10pm - 7:10pm
Sep 3 to Dec 21