The Most Significant Change (MSC) technique is a tool for collecting, discussing and selecting stories about the significant changes that people experience as a result of your programs. MSC is a participatory approach to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) that involves assessing the changes and impacts that have happened as a result of a program from the perspective of program participants.

1. Most Significant Change (MSC) Technique
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2. Overview
• Understanding the MSC Technique
• Significance of MSC Stories
• Developing Domains of Change (DoC)
• Stories Collected
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3. What is the MSC Technique
• Developed by Rick Davies and Jessica Dart
• Form of Qualitative, PM & E
• Invitation rather consultation
• On going process
• Based on ‘stories’ of significant change
• Not a stand alone approach
• Basis for dialogue
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4. Understanding the 10 MSC Steps
1. Raising interest
2. Defining the domains of change
3. Defining the reporting period
4. Collecting SC stories
5. Selecting the most significant stories
6. Feeding back the results of the selection process
7. Verification of stories
8. Quantification
9. Meta-monitoring
10. Revising the system
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5. Why Collect Stories?
• Found in all culture
• People remember stories
• People enjoy being listened to
• Impacts are complex and occurs in context
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6. MSC Steps
What do you think was the most significant change in your life
as a result of your involvement in ......?
Beginning:
• What was your life like before you became involved in the radio program?
• How did you get involved in the program?
Middle:
• What happened after you became involved?
• What activities you took part in?
• What did you learn from?
End:
• What was the most significant change in your life as a result of your involvement in
the program?
• Why did you choose this change in particular?
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7. DoC Examples
• Changes in knowledge or awareness
• Changes in attitude and behavior
• Changes in participation
• Changes in personal development
• Domains of negative impacts
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8. Story Selection
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9. For more information
http://www.mande.co.uk/docs/MSCGuide.pdf
http://betterevaluation.org/sites/default/files/EA_P
M%26E_toolkit_MSC_manual_for_publication.pd
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Thank You
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Questions?