BECC Webinar: Theories of Change for Encouraging Climate-Friendly Behaviors

Utilities, governments, non-profits, and businesses all implement programs to change behaviors to save energy and mitigate climate change — but we are often missing the details of the cause-and-effect chains operating behind the scenes. Typical theories of change usually tell us about what goals and activities are core to a program’s outcomes, but not why the program works.

In this interactive webinar, panelists will introduce a psycho-social theory of change (PS-ToC) that links elements of a behavior change program to underlying psychological or social changes. It articulates the goals of a program (e.g., utilities or organizations wanting to increase use of solar power in residential communities) and how the methods lead to actual changes in awareness, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. Without such details, we can lose sight of the individual steps required to reach the final targeted behavior adoption. Panelists from Rare, a global environmental nonprofit, will provide an overview of the PS-ToC process with examples from their work. They will then give attendees a chance to practice applying the process with an actual case study and digital tool on adopting green energy sources.

Attendees will have the opportunity to work in small groups to collaborate on a PS-ToC and share their findings and questions with the larger group. The webinar will provide insights on how to make informed, real-time program decisions to adaptively manage your programs and achieve your desired outcomes.