[Background] [Outcomes] [Backwards Mapping]
[Completing Framework] [Indicators] [Interventions] [Narrative]

Stage 5: Writing the Narrative

We’re almost done! After completing the indicators and the framework, including assumptions, justifications, and interventions, the participants have to wrap it all up. We have found that writing a narrative—a meta-description of the program—is an excellent final step. The users are forced to take a step back from the intellectual abstraction of boxes, arrows and numbers and translate their initiative into normal language. For TOC users, this provides both a final spot-check as well as another tool to intuitively understand the initiative. After capturing an initiative’s multiple levels of change, it can be difficult to describe it again in normal language. The narrative helps to bridge that gap by emphasizing the most important components and pathways, so that the users can again see how the initiative creates their desired change.

The narrative also helps stakeholders explain their program to outsiders. Backed up by the change framework, the narrative can give stakeholders confidence in the logical underpinnings of the program. Writing the narrative makes it possible to coherently explain how the sequence and interventions make change possible.

Components of a Narrative

A good narrative sums up the initiative’s story. The narrative typically starts from the beginning with the background and goals explaining why they are important and how the initiative’s work achieves the goals. Required elements of a narrative include:

A narrative typically includes:

• Background: What is the context and the need
• Long-term goal: The ultimate desired outcome
• Intermediate goals: What and how these goals are important for themselves as well as for the ultimate goal.
• Assumptions and Justifications: The facts or reasons behind the initiative’s features
• Interventions: The initiative’s activities and programs
• Program Logic: The understanding that guides every step of the initiative

A well-written narrative includes enough detail to clearly capture the programâs goals, but only enough to emphasize the unity of logic and action.

Final Narrative

Project Superwomen was founded as a collaboration of a social service provider, a non-profit employment-training center, and a non-profit shelter provider for female domestic violence victims. The group’s goal was to help women obtain a type of employment that would keep them out of poverty, off public assistance while providing stability and upward mobility. The group chose jobs in electrical, plumbing, carpentry and building maintenance because they provided entry-level positions, possible union membership, and opportunities for advancement at livable wages.

Based on the assumptions that women can learn non-traditional skills and that employers could be identified that would hire them, the project’s goal was to provide both the training and support needed by this population in order to enter and remain in the workforce. The group believed that most of the women they could train would be single mothers, coming from abusive situations and would need psycho-emotional counseling, especially regarding low self-esteem and impaired coping skills. They also recognized that even women whose lives are fairly stable might face crises from time to time requiring practical help or psychological support. For some of the women who had not worked before, the group included training in non-traditional skills, training in workplace expectations and intensive psychological supports.

Based on their resources, the group decided that they could provide assistance with some crises, such as housing evictions or court appearances, but could not be responsible for completely stabilizing the lives of their clients. This dictated their screening process ensuring that new women entering the program had already settled major issues, such as housing, substance abuse, or foster care.

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