A clear explanation of what is expected to happen, why it is expected to happen, and in what order. A theory of change makes it easy for reviewers to understand the research plan. It is helpful to provide a graphic of the target population, intervention, and outcomes (see figure 1)
Figure 1. Borrowed from Albro. E., McLaughlin, J. (2013). IES grant writing workshop [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://education.msu.edu/irtl/pdf/IES%20Grant%20Writing%20Workshop%202013.pdf
Andy Markelz