Resource Change Management

Crafting a Theory of Change for Digital Transformation in Government

In our research announcement on theories of change (ToC) for digital government, the Digital Service Network shared our belief that all Digital Service (DS) teams should work to develop a ToC.

Organizations: Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, Digital Service Network

Author: Colleen Pulawski

Published Year: 2023

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In our research announcement on theories of change (ToC) for digital government, the Digital Service Network shared our belief that all Digital Service (DS) teams should work to develop a ToC. We also believe that, whether or not they think they do, all DS teams already have a ToC simply by virtue of working toward an end state different from the current one (i.e., from services that may be outdated, inefficient, and/or ineffective, to digitally transformed services that help improve resident outcomes). 

Through studying and working with these teams, we ask: are DS teams’ ToCs doing all they can for them? Are they explicit? Are the assumptions and dependencies inherent in them rigorously interrogated? Are they wielded in the right circumstances?