The key objective of the fourth phase of the SADC water programme is: “To unlock the potential for water (and related resources) to play its role as an engine and catalyst for socio-economic development through water infrastructure development and management to support water supply and sanitation, energy, food security, and security from water related disasters with the ultimate goal of contributing towards peace and stability, industrialisation, regional integration and poverty eradication.” In order to formulate the conceptual framework of the RSAP IV, and to ensure that the appropriate actions, activities and resources are well thought through, SADC formulated a theory of change to facilitate the identification of indicators for monitoring and reporting of the achievements of the RSAP IV Programmes and their contribution to the higher level SADC Treaty Goals, the African continental Programmes and UN Sustainable Development Goal 6. Figure 3 graphically depicts our “Theory of Change.” 3.1 THE THEORY OF CHANGE To facilitate the adequate monitoring and evaluation of the RSAP IV, the “Theory of Change” approach was adopted in order to establish the appropriate indicators that would be used to assess the achievement of the programmes particularly in terms of the impacts and outcomes of the programmes’ interventions. It should be appreciated here that the impacts of successful provision of water and sanitation services usually manifest in various different forms that cannot only be quantified in terms of the initial water inputs or numbers. At times it can also be qualitatively assessed in terms of the improved quality of lives, livelihoods and indeed, sustained ecosystems. RE AR D T U W TO REGIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN IV (2016 - 2020) MUNITY SOUTHERN M CO AF T VE N DE LOPM EN CA RI SA C O M MO N FU Setting targets in such cases is difficult and developing a “Theory of Change” assists in such cases to indicate and assess achievement or impacts and outcomes of programmes. BOX 1: THEORY OF CHANGE What Is a Theory of Change? A theory of change (TOC) is a tool for developing solutions to complex social problems. A basic TOC explains how a group of early and intermediate accomplishments sets the stage for producing long-range results. A more complete TOC articulates the assumptions about the process through which change will occur and specifies the ways in which all of the required early and intermediate outcomes related to achieving the desired long-term change will be brought about and documented as they occur.¹ Steps to Create a Theory of Change 1. Identify a long-term goal. 2. Conduct “backwards mapping” to identify the preconditions necessary to achieve that goal. 3. Identify the interventions that your initiative will perform to create these preconditions. 4. Develop indicators for each precondition that will be used to assess the performance of the interventions. 5. Write a narrative that can be used to summarize the various moving parts in your theory.² ¹ Adapted from Anderson, A. (2005). The community builder’s approach to theory of change: A practical guide to theory and development. New York: The Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change. ² Adapted from www.theoryofchange.org A Vehicle to implement the Water Component of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 8