On September 1, 2020, at ISSP, the MIDEQ project in Burkina Faso team invited project partners to take part in a workshop on the Theory of Change (ToC).

ToC is a theoretical and methodological approach to strengthen the planning, implementation, execution and evaluation of an impact-focused research project. The ToC helps research teams define the expected links between their project, the research questions and the context they seek to influence as well as identify the long-term social and developmental impacts of the project.

Developed by Vogel (2012), the ToC is built through five interrelated steps: 1) Analyse the context, 2) Specify intended impacts, 3) Map impact backwards, 4) Line up outputs and activites, and 5) Develop progress markers. The ToC also relies on challenging underlying assumptions throughout this process.

The implementation team of the MIDEQ project, which agreed to this approach, invited all the stakeholders of the project to ISSP on September 1, 2020. The invited participants, which included members of the advisory board, civil society, and associations, then discussed the MIDEQ project's proposed Theory of Change. The workshop was facilitated through the ′′ ketso ′′ method, an innovative animation method that allows each participant to provide answers and creates space for maximum participation.

Together, workshop participants went through the 5 steps of theory of change and provided elements of response. The results of this workshop will allow the MIDEQ team to progress in the implementation of the project.