ABSTRACT
Brazil's federal government recommends the theory of change, as well as other programme theory tools, to plan and manage its national multiyear development plan. This essay analyses the suitability of the theory of change as a planning and management tool in this context. The findings indicate that it might be useful for planning but not for management purposes. The essay then discusses the tool's limitations as well as potential solutions to existing challenges to the use of the theory of change as an effective management tool.
