The Most Significant Change Technique: A Guide to Its Use

This publication is intended for organisations, community groups, students and academics who wish to use the Most Significan Change Technique (MSC) to help monitor and evaluate their social change programmes and projects or to learn more about how it can be used.

As stated in the guide:" "The most significant change (MSC) technique is a form of participatory monitoring and evaluation. It is participatory because many project stakeholders are involved both in deciding the sorts of change to be recorded and in analysing the data. It is a form of monitoring because it occurs throughout the program cycle and provides information to help people manage the program. It contributes to evaluation because it provides data on impact and outcomes that can be used to help assess the performance of the program as a whole.

Essentially, the process involves the collection of significant change (SC) stories emanating from the field level, and the systematic selection of the most significant of these stories by panels of designated stakeholders or staff. The designated staff and stakeholders are initially involved by 'searching' for project impact. Once changes have been captured, various people sit down together, read the stories aloud and have regular and often in-depth discussions about the value of these reported changes. When the technique is implemented successfully, whole teams of people begin to focus their attention on program impact."

The technique is applicable in development programmes as well as many different sectors, including agriculture, education and health. It is also applicable to many different cultural contexts.

To request a print copy or CD email rick@mande.co.uk with "Request for hard copy of MSC Guide" on the subject line. You will be asked to provide some information about where you live and/or work.