Situation
After the student's initial research, she quickly came across the Theory of Change and Theory of Action models.

In collaboration with Simon Cageling and Ingmar de Vries, it was decided to use this model as the basis for the student's research. Based on the Theory of Change (ToC) methodology, the CSR activities of clubs or leagues are mapped and structured, with the starting point being making a positive social impact. This intended impact must also be measurable . The ToC can be used by CSR managers and employees to gain insight into the CSR strategy and refine it where necessary. 

 

Task

Tasks

Theory of Change

·       Presenting o   ‘Commerciële blok’ o   Kwartaalbijeenkomst o   Creation of the PowerPoint ·       Collaboration Jan-Willem van der Roest & Eredivisie o   Conversations o   Sharing knowledge o   Different sessions ·       Research ·       Interviews o   Board members §  ToC 1-on-1 with every board member §  Developing the ToC for every board member o   Employees FC Groningen ·       Theory of Action Maatschappij o   Creation of the handbook o   Creation of the presentation o   Co-creation intern o   Leading the workshop for all the employees o   Conversation intern together with manager ·       Workshop ToA Kwartaalbijeenkomst o   Creation of presentation o   Creation of the workshop o   Leading the workshop and guiding employees through the workshop o   Working together with Ingmar de Vries & Yannick Post

 

Action

After deciding to use the Theory of Change and Theory of Action model for her research, the student began by developing and outlining a plan. Additionally, she conducted extensive preliminary research to create the best possible implementation strategy for the process, ultimately designing two routes. The first route involved filling out a Theory of Change with all board members and staff, while the second route initiated a process around the Theory of Action with the remaining employees. The student created a handbook and a corresponding presentation for this purpose.

Before the student could start the process, she had a conversation with Jan-Willem van der Roest about developing a Theory of Change during the EFDN congress in Utrecht. This helped to pay attention to important details for the continuation of the process. After approval from the manager and policy advisor for the workshop, presentation and handbook, the process could begin. During the board meeting, the student asked for cooperation from the board members and conducted one-on-one conversations with multiple people. The Theory of Change process resulted in 12 Theory of Change templates, which were transformed into one Theory of Change for the Foundation in collaboration with Ingmar de Vries. The student presented this during the "Commercial Block" and the second board meeting. This version will also be included in the Foundation's policy plan.

The process of the Theory of Action is quite different from that of the Theory of Change. A handbook and presentation were also created, but the kick-off of the process was through a workshop. In early December 2022, the student organized a workshop for all employees and involved interns of the Foundation. In this workshop, the student took the employees through a series of steps, with the ultimate goal of filling out a Theory of Action. The student prepared, organized, led, and reflected on the workshop with the manager. After these sessions, multiple conversations were held per program with the manager and program leaders for further development of the Theory of Action. This resulted in a lot of co-creation within the organisation. In late April 2023, there was another session with all employees, where a continuation was made in developing a program-level strategy based on the general strategy. The student organised this session and worked together with the manager and policy advisor, with the student mainly responsible for the Theory of Change and Action part.

Because the process of the Theory of Change and Theory of Action was so successful at the Foundation, the student was asked to give a similar workshop during the quarterly meeting of FC Groningen. The Quarterly Meeting is something that is organized club-wide to introduce employees to a department in an inspiring way. The Foundation was the theme of this Quarterly Meeting. Employees could choose from 3 different workshops in advance. Because this is slightly different from a social project, the student adapted the workshop to a suitable workshop for different departments of FC Groningen. The student organized this workshop together with Ingmar de Vries and Yannick Post, but because the student was the most experienced in this area, the student led the organisation of the workshop. On the day itself, the organisers learned that they had quite a few registrations, and also from various departments. That made giving the workshop extra fun. The room was well-equipped, and a template was available for everyone. The student started the workshop with a general explanation of the Theory of Change and what the process contributed to the Foundation, after which Yannick briefly explained his experiences with the model at the program level. Then the student took over again and guided the employees step by step through the model.

Result

The process of the Theory of Change has resulted in an internal change in the way of working and acting within the Foundation. In addition, a Theory of Change has been realized for the Foundation in general and a Theory of Action for each program. This is the basis for the new policies and way of working. Because FC Groningen is the first Eredivisie club to have adopted this process, several clubs have shown interest in the way of working of FC Groningen and have requested consultancy. The student is very proud of the results of the processes and what has been achieved.

Furthermore, the workshop during the quarterly meeting resulted in more than 20 employees filling out a Theory of Action for their respective departments, ranging from the Hospitality department to the top sports department. It's great to see how one model can be filled out using different questions. This day has given the student extra recognition within the organisation, with some employees even wanting to continue the process for their own department and asking the student additional questions in the meantime.

Reflection

Looking back on the process of the Theory of Change and the Theory of Action, the student did not expect it to be such a success. The student is very happy with the collaboration she had with the manager and policy advisor in this area. Without their help, the freedom and trust they gave the student, this would never have been such a success. The student would like to thank them very much for that. Through this process, the student has gained insight into the fact that managing and organising these types of processes is something that suits the student well and that she would like to continue working on in the future.