Theory-Based Most Significant Change
Most Significant Change (MSC) is a form of participatory monitoring and evaluation. MSC involves the collection and systematic participatory interpretation of stories of significant change. MSC is a qualitative approach that can be used throughout the program cycle, alongside other M&E tools. Connecting MSC with your Theory of Change enables you to monitor specific changes occurring due to your program.
Related Tools
Theory of Change
Digital Tools
Sensemaking Workshop
Most Significant Change (MSC) is a story-based approach that reveals aspects of change. The stories are then sorted by program staff or stakeholders to identify those deemed significant by the team.
By basing the lines of inquiry on the program theory of change, the stories can be targeted to specific areas that are important to the program.
MSC can be used in MEL in two different ways:
- Retrospective – single point of time reflecting on the change
- Comparative – single point of time comparing perceptions of types of people
Most Significant Change (MSC) can be used in MEL to:
- Encourage participants to reflect on their own lives and the changes related to the program
- Identify the types of changes common in a program related to the theory of change
Step 1. Choose MSC based on your understanding of the pros and cons of the approach, and the types of MEL data you need to collect and use.
Consider MSC amongst a range of qualitative data collection tools to ensure that it is the right approach for your organisation. The following table presents some characteristics of organisations that might benefit from MSC.
| MSC is suitable for programs that: | MSC is suitable for organisations that: |
| Are complex | Have committed to learning about impact of programs |
| Are focused on social change | Have time to run several cycles of the approach |
| Are participatory | Have management and staff willing to try something different |
| Have lots of contact between field staff and participants | Have systems to enable regular feedback of the results to stakeholders |
| Can’t be evaluated using conventional monitoring systems alone | Have champions (e.g. people who can promote the use of MSC) with good facilitation skills |
Step 2. Develop your MSC tools and decide on scale, timing and resourcing
To undertake an MSC process, you will need:
- An MSC question related to a particular change that you are hoping to observe/test in the world. For example, gender-norms changes associated with WASH programs.
A question might be something like: What has been the most significant change you have experienced since you built a latrine in your home? Alternatively, what has been the biggest change you have experienced since being involved in the WASH program in your community? Your question will be based on the types of engagement that your interviewees have had with your program.
- Information sheet and consent form (ethical research and evaluation considerations)
- To decide how many people will collect stories
- To decide who you will collect stories from
- To decide when and how often you will collect stories
- To decide the story review and selection process
Step 3. Ensure that your MSC story collectors have strong facilitation skills
MSC requires a very open approach to interviewing, great listening skills and thorough note taking. It also requires that your story collectors encourage the story tellers to provide more detail and examples (probing) without leading them in any way.
Step 4. Story selection by panel(s), verification and analysis
You will have three types of data by the end of the project:
- All change stories (total data set)
- Selected change stories (the ones deemed most significant by your panel(s))
- Notes taken about the reasons for selecting the most significant stories
There are many ways you can analyse this data, including assessing (which changes you’d like to see, as defined from your Theory of Change process) and identifying the MOST significant changes as reported by interviewees. Panels are groups of people who identify which stories are MOST significant, and explain why they chose a particular story as being the most significant. Their explanation and reasoning are part of your qualitative data set. You can also use the data to test the assumptions of your program – for example, were the changes you expected to arise the result of the program?
Travel Restricted Times
While stories of significant change are best collected in person, they can also be completed using participatory and remote methods.
Keeping in mind differences in access and literacy, think about different ways to facilitate and plan this approach.
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Computer and internet access |
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Smartphone and internet access |
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Basic phone access |
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See an example of participatory activities using Google Slide.
Learn more on the digital tools page.
Materials
Planning Template
Logistics Checklist
DOCX | 972 KB
Do-no-harm Strategy
Integrity Checklist
DOCX | 970 KB
Effective Interviewing Guide
DOCX | 968 KB
Sample Participant Information Sheet
This information sheet is to be shared with potential participants. The template should be updated and translated as required.
Sample Interview Guide
This guide can be used during MSC interviews with participants. The template should be updated and translated as required.
Prompt design template
This template includes includes sentence starters and ideas to help you create a prompt for your story-based approach.
MSC Workshop Slidedeck
This PowerPoint slidedeck can be used to facilitate a workshop when planning for a MSC activity.
Workshop Consent Form
This word document form can be used in face to face workshop format and adapted for remote workshops.
Learn more
Davies & Dart (2005) Most Significant Change Guidebook.
Better Evaluation (n.d.) Most Significant Change.
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