Theory of change

CCR thinks that its agenda will only be achieved if we operate in two dimensions. The first is moving along the spectrum from individual action towards collective action. A critical number of individuals will need to shift their knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in the various domains of their lives (family, workplace, community), moving towards increased agency, connecting with others, and active citizenship so that they stand on the dais and make a public stand. The second dimension is around shifting the political calculation and making the case for investing in children. This will require reframing how we understand children, moving from seeing them as passive recipients of ad hoc, voluntary services, towards understanding that children who grow up in safety are drivers of Tanzania’s development.

CCR’s theory about how change will happen

Download a graphic illustrating CCR's theory of change

In the horizontal axis, CCR aims to catalyse a critical number of individuals to shift their own attitudes and behaviour so that they start taking new actions, within the various domains of their lives:

1. The initial focus is to help people shift their understanding of themselves and how they make meaning of their choices and experiences. It is critical that they first understand and acknowledge that abuse is not ok; moving from denial towards openness to CCR’s case.
2. Secondly, it will be necessary to address issues of self efficacy, and people’s perceived lack of information, self belief or ideas for alternative action, so that they can start to take small, high impact, but low cost actions that demonstrate to their children that they are loved and ensure that the child is safe in the home.
3. The third dimension is the individual in their workplace. This is particularly challenging because so many individuals feel powerless within their professional lives. Even those organisations mandated to protect children (schools, clinics, social welfare departments) are characterised by high levels of staff frustration and poor management systems. Individuals within these organisations often feel that they are unable to influence the organisation’s practice. This area will require that we carefully strategise how to help individuals become agents of change within their organisations who can facilitate the organisation to move from ignoring the situation of children to developing a workplace culture that protects children.
4. The fourth dimension is the individual within their community. There has been a real move towards individualism wihtin communities (particularly urban settings) and active citizenship is now widely seen in terms of political activism. But there is real scope to move individuals, and particularly youth, from apathy towards more active citizenship, where people demonstrate that we each have mutual responsibilities to each other. Actions that we need to encourage include intervening when a child is in distress, voting, demanding follow-up from the police and social workers when cases of abuse are reportedd, the allocation of budgets for child protection within Ward Development plans and sitting on voluntary committees.
5. The final point on the spectrum is the point at which individuals take a public stand “Me on my dais”. Rather than keeping my head down we want to encourage individuals to talk with and connect with others as they promote the child protection agenda. This is at the point where people “make demands on government” by getting the interest of opinion formers who hold influence, by engaging in group action (flash mobs, petitions and so on), by writing about the agenda (blogs, twitter, media coverage) and so on.

Moving up the vertical spectrum and changing the political calculation so that children’s issues are re-framed as drivers of development will require that CCR gain better understanding of the political sphere in Tanzania, particularly about who holds influence and their personal and political agendas. We will also need to gain access to key opinion formers; either by using our ‘connectors’ to open doors, or by calling upon citizens and professionals to demand change. This vertical spectrum is contingent on the momentum gained by the 50% campaign at a national level, but at a local level CCR’s work with legal professionals, elected officials and LGA technical staff will be critical. We will need to make our case about the cost to the city from child abuse and neglect, the return from this investment and the political and social capital that is to be gained for idividuals opinion formers from adopting a child protection agenda.