---
wiki_slug: programs/atlas-network-academy/theory-of-change
wiki_scope: org
page_type: theory-of-change
entity_type: program
owner_role: director_of_training
owner_slug: alex-sloane
program_slug: atlas-network-academy
status: 'seed — fill in; get program-lead sign-off; ingest into AtlasWiki'
---

# Atlas Network Academy — theory of change

## The change we expect

Trained partner leaders run more effective organizations and more
effective campaigns, producing measurable policy and cultural wins that
compound across the network and across time.

## Chain of logic

### Inputs

- `[FILL: total trainer hours / FY]`
- `[FILL: curriculum development investment]`
- Mentor network: `[FILL: rough count of active mentors]`
- Peer cohort effect across `[FILL: N]` tracks
- `[FILL: scholarship funding for partner attendance]`

### Activities

- Six certification and training tracks delivered annually (see
  `programs.yaml` for the catalog)
- In-person and online formats with `[FILL: ratio]`
- Professional Summits convening specialists in policy, ops, and
  communications
- Executive coaching for CEO and CMO peers

### Outputs

- `[FILL: target N]` individuals trained per year (public target: 1,000+)
- Cohort completion at `[FILL: target %]`
- `[FILL: N]` Executive Accelerator coaching relationships per year
- `[FILL: N]` Professional Summits per year

### Outcomes (0–12 months post-training)

- `[FILL: target % of alumni applying ALA frameworks in their org's
  strategy, measured via follow-up survey]`
- `[FILL: target % of alumni launching a sustained campaign within 12
  months — this is the headline outcome metric]`
- `[FILL: target N partner orgs reporting measurable improvement in
  fundraising / governance / comms post-training]`

### Outcomes (12–36 months)

- `[FILL: partner-led campaigns achieving policy change at meaningful
  scale — describe what counts and the target count]`
- `[FILL: alumni advancing to senior roles within partner orgs or
  founding new orgs]`
- `[FILL: network effects — alumni mentoring next-cohort alumni]`

### Impact (3–10 years)

Strengthened partner-org capacity across the Atlas network produces a
deeper, more durable supply of credible voices for free societies. Over
time, this raises the marginal effectiveness of every Atlas dollar
spent — partners need less hand-holding and produce more sophisticated
work.

## Assumptions

- **Authority assumption.** ALA participants return to organizations
  with enough authority to apply what they learned. Without that,
  training is "consumed" individually but doesn't translate to
  organizational change.
- **Selection assumption.** Atlas's selection process identifies
  participants whose orgs are positioned to grow. If selection is
  noisy, outcomes vary widely regardless of training quality.
- **Network assumption.** The peer-cohort effect is real and durable —
  alumni stay in touch, refer work to each other, and reinforce ALA
  frameworks over time. If alumni drift away from the network, the
  long-tail effect disappears.
- `[FILL: any program-specific assumption Alex Sloane wants to call
  out]`

## Evidence base

- `[FILL: post-program survey data — response rate, key findings]`
- `[FILL: 12-month follow-up survey results from FY24/25 cohorts]`
- `[FILL: longitudinal partner tracking via Network Outreach]`
- `[FILL: comparable programs in the academic literature on adult
  professional development — cite 1–2 relevant findings]`

## Last reviewed

`[FILL: Alex Sloane, date]`