The document discusses the Most Significant Change (MSC) method for participatory evaluation. MSC involves participants sharing stories of significant change from their perspectives related to an intervention. These stories are analyzed and filtered through different organization levels. MSC is useful when programs adapt to different contexts leading to varying outcomes, when the relationship between causes and effects is unclear, or when evaluations focus on learning rather than just accountability. Strengths include flexibility and capturing a broad range of results, while limitations include potential biases in story selection and views of those who are good storytellers.

1. The Most Significant
Change Method:
Background
Jessica Fehringer, PhD, MHS
MEASURE Evaluation
October 29, 2016
American Evaluation Association
Conference — Atlanta

2. • Participatory approach
• Assess change/impact from perspective of
participants
• Participants and stakeholders involved in
process of collection and analysis
• Participants give personal stories of
significant change, directly or indirectly
related to intervention
• Stories typically analyzed and filtered through
various organization levels
MSC: What Is It?

3. MSC: Domains of Change
• “Domains of change”
• Broad categories of possible SC stories
• Deliberately fuzzy
• NOT indicators
• Examples:
• Change in quality of people’s lives
• Change in attitude or behaviors
• Change in community participation

4. MSC: Useful When…
• A program adapts to different or
changing contexts, leading to differences
in implementation and outcomes
• Cause-and-effect is poorly understood
• Multiple intervention components
• Evaluation focused on learning, not just
accountability

5. MSC: Strengths
• Flexible, captures broader range of results
• Goal-free, no predetermined success
• Simple process
• Complementary to/addresses limitations of
other more traditional methods

6. MSC: Limitations
• Biases toward success stories
• Subjectivity in story selection
• Biases toward popular views
• Biases toward views of those who are
good storytellers

7. This presentation was produced with the support of the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) under the terms of MEASURE Evaluation
cooperative agreement AID-OAA-L-14-00004. MEASURE Evaluation is
implemented by the Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill in partnership with ICF International; John Snow, Inc.; Management
Sciences for Health; Palladium; and Tulane University. Views expressed are not
necessarily those of USAID or the United States government.
www.measureevaluation.org