An impact narrative is a narrative description of the project’s impact pathways. We have found that the discipline in writing an explanation of causal mechanisms and influence strategies helps surface further assumptions and improves clarity and understanding of the project’s impact pathways. The main approach we use is for us, the PIPA facilitators, to redraw the network maps produced in the workshop using social network analysis software (e.g., UCINET/NetDraw) relationship by relationship and then ask the participants to explain what needs to happen for the changes in the future network to occur. We also construct a graphical representation of the causal model and outcome chains to achieve the vision, which we call an outcomes logic model. See http://ipvolta.pbwiki.com for examples of draft project impact narratives.

We have found that writing good impact narratives requires a lot of work for both the PIPA facilitators and the project staff involved. Hence they should not be entered into without real commitment from the project management that comes from them wanting the clarity that an impact narrative brings.