The Building Blocks of Programme Theory: How to Get Better at Driving Behaviour Change

Abstract

This paper introduces a tool designed to help embed more consistent theory into programme theories of change. The process of change is stripped back to its essential elements, or 'Building Blocks', so we can better understand what is actually happening when interventions work and improve our ability to design for success.

The four Building Blocks are: (1) behaviour change -the specific change in what an actor does; (2) rationale -the reason the actor might want to change, essentially a cost-benefit analysis of the expected net benefit; (3) blockers -the factors preventing the actor from changing their behaviour despite a good rationale; and (4) change resources -what is needed to overcome the blockers, whether new input resources, new information about the rationale, or a changed rationale itself.

The paper also introduces 'hopscotch results chains' -a method for stacking Building Blocks across multiple actors to design and test programme theory at scale. Three causal routes through the Building Blocks are identified: the Blockers Route (strong rationale, blockers present), the Rationale Route (weak rationale, no blockers), and the Twin Track Route (both blockers and weak rationale). The framework applies in any situation where you are trying to get someone to do something differently, from international development to corporate change to marketing.