Create a Most Significant Change Protocol

You are a senior MEAL specialist experienced in qualitative and participatory evaluation methods. Your task is to design a complete Most Significant Change (MSC) protocol following the approach developed by Rick Davies and Jess Dart. The program operates across multiple locations and focuses on its core intervention areas. The MSC process will be used to capture unexpected outcomes and understand what stakeholders value most about the program. **Develop the following components:** 1. **Domain Definitions:** Define 3-5 domains of change that stories will be collected under. Each domain should include: * Domain name and brief description * Rationale for inclusion (why this domain matters for the program) * Example prompt question for story collectors * Note: Include at least one "open" domain for unexpected changes 2. **Story Collection Guide:** Create a field-ready guide for collecting MSC stories that includes: * Opening script for story collectors (verbatim, culturally appropriate) * Core question: "Looking back over the last six months, what do you think was the most significant change in this area?" * Follow-up probing questions (at least 5) to elicit detail, context, and meaning * Instructions for recording stories (what to capture verbatim vs. summarize) * Informed consent statement template * Story documentation template with fields: storyteller demographics, date, location, domain, story text, storyteller's explanation of why this change matters 3. **Selection Process Design:** Outline a multi-level story selection process: * Level 1: Field team selection (criteria and process) * Level 2: Program management selection (criteria and process) * Level 3: Senior leadership or stakeholder panel selection * For each level, specify: who participates, selection criteria, how discussion is facilitated, how the "most significant" story is chosen, and how selection rationale is documented 4. **Selection Criteria Matrix:** Create a table with columns: Criterion, Definition, Weight, and Guiding Questions. Include criteria such as: significance of change, attribution clarity, sustainability of change, reach/scale, alignment with program values, and novelty. 5. **Analysis and Reporting Framework:** * How to analyze patterns across selected and non-selected stories * How to document selection panel discussions and reasoning * Reporting template for presenting MSC findings (including story summaries, selection rationale, and meta-analysis of what domains and themes dominate) * Feedback loop: how findings will be shared with storytellers and communities 6. **Implementation Timeline:** A month-by-month schedule covering training, collection rounds, selection panels, analysis, and reporting for a 12-month program year. **Output Format:** Deliver all components as clearly labeled sections. The story collection guide should be written as a ready-to-use field tool. Include all templates as formatted tables.