22 The funds from the Barents Secretariat are given to projects within five areas of work: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1.6
Business development Competence-building and education at all levels Environmental protection Welfare/Culture Indigenous people
The programme theory of the Barents Secretariat’s grant programme
In order to structure an assessment of an intervention, e.g. a project, it is necessary to have an idea of the theory behind the intervention. Evaluations often refer to programme theory. Theory in this context should not be understood as an intricate academic exercise, but be used a practical tool to help bring forth the assumed relations between the interventions (inputs) and their outputs and outcomes, and the relations between the outcomes and the solution of the problems that the intervention seeks to reduce or solve. Programme theory, like other theory, suggests links between causes and effects. One could also think in terms of configurations of context, mechanisms and outcome (CMO): What outcomes are results of what mechanisms under what preconditions? The following questions are helpful in structuring the analysis of a project’s effects and impacts: 1) Is there reason to believe that the intervention, measure or project will lead to the anticipated output? Outputs are the direct results of the activity (the “input”). In the context of the Barents Secretariat’s grant programme the number of people trained in welding, or the time transmitted in Saami on the radio would be considered outputs. 2) Is there reason to believe that the output will lead to the desired outcome? Will the trained welders use their recently acquired skills for the purposes sought by the project, i.e. work migration? Will someone listen to, and understand, the Saami radio transmissions? NIBR Report 2008:4
