{"id":3527,"date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carnegiefoundation.org\/?p=3527"},"modified":"2026-01-28T09:20:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T17:20:51","slug":"building-a-theory-driver-diagram-card-sort-activity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carnegiefoundation.org\/building-a-theory-driver-diagram-card-sort-activity\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Theory: Driver Diagram Card Sort Activity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A theory of improvement, often represented by a driver diagram, articulates a community\u2019s shared goal and how they are working together to achieve it (change ideas). This resource for instructors or facilitators outlines an activity through which individuals deepen their understanding of the components of a driver diagram – aim statement, primary drivers and change ideas – and how they relate to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this activity, participants will assemble a driver diagram drawn from an actual network\u2019s improvement effort. Each group is given a set of cards that contain the separate components of a driver diagram (aim statement, primary drivers, and change ideas) as well as false components that illustrate common mistakes that individuals make when creating driver diagrams. As they engage in this activity, groups identify the correct components, arrange them in a driver diagram, and discuss how they relate to each other. This activity is designed for beginner audiences to support sense-making after they have been introduced to what a theory of practice improvement is, what its components are, and how they are related to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This set of resources includes the following materials:<\/p>\n\n\n\n