Roots of Change: A Handbook for Mapping Systemic Change in Rural Development

This document is a practical guide for development practitioners seeking to understand long-term impact beyond project outputs. Based on the Rural Development Impact Framework (RDIF), the handbook introduces a realist approach to evaluating change by examining how interventions interact with context to activate mechanisms and produce systemic outcomes. Through a series of participatory exercises, organisations can map their geography, trace pathways of change, document evidence, and identify outcomes across livelihoods, agency, mobility, and governance. The handbook shifts the focus from attribution to contribution, helping organisations understand how sustained engagement shapes rural transformation over time.