This paper grew from the observation that while a great deal of experience already existed on systems initiative evaluation, it was difficult to talk clearly about both this field's past and future because systems initiatives are diverse and can mean different things to different people. To address this challenge, the paper defined the different areas in which initiatives might focus and identified theory of change elements and evaluation approaches that fit with each area. The hope is that this framework will provide a clearer way of thinking and talking about systems initiatives, and therefore will facilitate learning about the field's past and decision making about its future. (author abstract)