You are here: Benefits > Theory of change
Community legal centres provide vital legal help to people who can’t afford a lawyer, but don’t qualify for Legal Aid. We help individuals by providing them with legal information, advice that is tailored to their circumstances, and by providing ongoing representation and support. Based on our experiences helping individual clients, we work to prevent other people experiencing legal problems, by educating them about their rights and responsibilities, and through working with governments and others to improve laws and legal processes that aren’t working properly.
A theory of change sets out the link between activities and the achievement of medium and longer term outcomes. Our theory of change (set out in the table below) helps us to better understand and measure the change CLCs’ activities have on these four groups. We systematically collect data, both qualitative and quantitative, that provides evidence of whether those outcomes have been achieved. The tools developed in the evaluation project assist with collecting this evidence.
In the long term, community legal centres’ work impacts on four groups of stakeholders, or beneficiaries:
A theory of change sets out the link between activities and the achievement of medium and longer term outcomes. Our theory of change (set out in the table below) helps us to better understand and measure the change CLCs’ activities have on these four groups. We systematically collect data, both qualitative and quantitative, that provides evidence of whether those outcomes have been achieved. The tools developed in the evaluation project assist with collecting this evidence.
In the long term, community legal centres’ work impacts on four groups of stakeholders, or beneficiaries:
- Clients have decreased stress and anxiety, improved financial wellbeing, improved personal relationships, increased personal safety, and decreased social exclusion
- Community organisations can collaborate better, and more effectively provide services to priority clients, while the broader community experiences increased individual and community wellbeing
- Justice system services: Courts and tribunals expend less resources, provide fairer legal outcomes, and can improve policy and processes with better information; governments are better informed when they develop laws, legal policy and practice, and can provide effective justice service programs, and other legal assistance services function more effectively
- Volunteers are more able to make a difference in their community, and develop their own professional skills.
Theory of change for community legal centres