About USAW
Theory of change
One causal logic underpins every programme area, and it is the basis for the indicators in our results framework.
The logic
A single claim, stated plainly
If women gain access to education, resources and platforms, they will lead sustainability action that improves both livelihoods and environmental outcomes.
Everything USAW does is an attempt to make that sentence true and to test whether it is. The chain below sets out how, and the assumptions section names what has to hold for it to work - because a theory of change that cannot be wrong is not a theory of change.
The chain
From problem to impact
Problem
Women carry the burden and hold few of the decisions
Women in underserved communities are most exposed to climate change, pollution and resource scarcity, have the least access to the means of adapting, and are structurally absent from environmental leadership.
Inputs
Education, resources and platforms
Sustainability education, green skills training, access to finance and enterprise incubation, leadership development, community infrastructure, and independent research.
Activities
Four delivery vehicles across ten programme pillars
Sustainability Education Workshops, Green Skills Training, the Women’s Leadership Program, and Community Action Projects - delivered through Community Chapters and institutional partnerships.
Outputs
Women trained, enterprises supported, chapters active
Women and youth completing training; women-led green enterprises established and supported; Community Chapters constituted and operating; research published; policy submissions made.
Outcomes
Women lead sustainability action
Women take decision-making roles in environmental governance, own and grow green enterprises, and lead sustained community action rather than participating in someone else’s programme.
Impact
Better livelihoods and better environmental outcomes, together
Resilient, inclusive communities in which investing in women’s leadership and investing in environmental outcomes are the same investment.
What must hold
Assumptions
- Access is the binding constraint, not capability - women lack entry to education, capital, networks and platforms rather than the ability to use them.
- Locally designed interventions outperform externally designed ones, so programming is built with local institutions rather than around them.
- Leadership gains persist. Women who enter environmental governance stay in it and open the door behind them.
- Institutional partners will engage a new organization on the strength of its governance and evidence before it has a track record.
Next