The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), under the EIT Higher Education Initiative, has launched a free online course entitled “Understanding Change: From Signs to Impact”, dedicated to identifying and analysing change and the impact of projects that go beyond traditional performance indicators (KPIs).
The training has been designed for individuals involved in project delivery, innovation initiatives, and development activities. Its aim is to develop skills in recognising and interpreting meaningful social, organisational, and institutional changes that are often not visible in quantitative data.
The course responds to the growing importance of demonstrating the real impact of projects and initiatives implemented by universities and organisations. Participants will be introduced to practical tools and narrative methods that enable a better understanding of change processes and more effective communication of results.
Course information
The course is delivered in a fully asynchronous format, allowing participants to complete it at their own time and pace.
Duration:
- approximately 3–3.5 hours of core material,
- an additional ~2 hours of supplementary materials.
Format:
- e-learning course,
- self-paced online study,
- available via the Climate KIC Academy platform.
Cost:
- free of charge.
Target group:
- project team members,
- project and programme managers,
- university staff,
- individuals involved in innovation and development activities,
- anyone interested in a practical approach to assessing change and project impact.
Thematic scope
The course covers, among others:
- analysis of project change and impact,
- narrative explanations,
- Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL),
- functioning of complex systems,
- sensemaking and interpretation of change processes,
- systems thinking,
- the impact of activities carried out by higher education institutions.
What participants will learn
The course focuses on developing the ability to identify early signs of change and interpret their meaning. Participants will learn how to describe and explain ongoing processes using simple narrative techniques.
Elements of the Most Significant Change (MSC) method are used as an example of a narrative-based approach. However, the course does not constitute full training in this methodology; rather, it demonstrates how stories and qualitative data can be used to identify project impact.
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
- recognise early signals of change,
- describe and interpret their significance,
- analyse effects that cannot easily be measured using quantitative indicators,
- communicate the impact of projects and initiatives more effectively,
- apply a reflective approach to project monitoring and evaluation.
Certificate
Participation in the course requires completing a short pre-course self-assessment questionnaire. Participants who complete both the course and the post-course evaluation survey will receive a certificate of participation.
Registration
Access to the course is granted after completing the registration form and the initial pre-course self-assessment: Registration and Pre Course self- assessment.
The course may be of particular interest to individuals involved in projects implemented within the Transform4Europe alliance, as well as staff and doctoral researchers interested in evaluation, social impact, innovation, and higher education development.
Please reach out to florinda.artese@climate-kic.org.
Jose Aljovin | Unsplash