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Theory of change

Our theory of change

Our ‘Theory of Change’ describes the change that Vision Action works to make in the world and how we are working to address the issue of uncorrected refractive error (URE).

Our Theory of Change outlines how what we do contributes to long-term impact. Starting at the programme stage, the Theory of Change demonstrates how each intervention we make creates positive short-term and long-term results which deliver better eye health and improved life outcomes for the people in the countries where we work.

To download a PDF of the Theory of Change, click here.

Our theory of change starts with four key interventions:

We deliver essential eye health services and equipment through the establishment and support of Vision Centres where patients can receive a walk-in eye examination, purchase an affordable pair of glasses and be referred for further specialist care if necessary. We also deliver infrastructure development by supporting alternative social enterprise models and supporting the development of optical supply chains.

With our partners, Vision Action takes an active role in the development of evidence-based policy to address uncorrected refractive error. At country level, we are active members of the National Committees for the Prevention of Blindness (NCPB) and international NGO forums, sharing knowledge across the sector. We have a robust monitoring, evaluation and learning framework that enables us to build the evidence base that underpins our work.

The communities in which we work are central to all stages of our activities. We always consult with local communities as we design and deliver our programmes. The feedback from our communities is invaluable and enables us to adapt our approaches to create maximum impact. We mobilise local expertise where possible and develop project-specific Social Behaviour Change Communications (SBCC) to ensure the work we do is clearly and effectively communicated to the people we are supporting.

Vision Action also supports local outreach programmes directly to communities when local health systems are inadequate or non-existent, particularly in the most remote areas. Outreach services are run by local eye health teams to complement and support local services and are supported by the nearest Vision Centre.

The critical shortage of health workers is now widely recognised as one of the most fundamental constraints to achieving progress on eye health and achieving wider development goals. At Vision Action, we support the IAPB Human Resources for Eye Health (HREH) strategic plan, whose goal is to ensure eye health workers are integrated at all levels of the health system. This includes working to narrow the gap in the Vision2020 targets and making access to eye health more equitable across the world. At Vision Action, we support human resource development through capacity building, training and education, particularly in the field of uncorrected refractive error.