Sophoi provided a sequenced programme of support for the Pacific Institute — refining the Theory of Change and developing an Impact Framework for the Advancing Water Equity and Resilience project. This provided the foundation for an independent mid-grant evaluation assessing progress and systemic influence across diverse water-stressed regions.

The evaluation was grounded in complex adaptive systems theory, using the Cynefin framework to distinguish between simple, complicated and complex challenges. Two rounds of collaborative sense-making were built into the design, so that community and grantee stakeholders were active interpreters of the evidence rather than merely sources of data — building social capital and moving beyond extractive reporting.