The USAID/Africa Bureau commissioned this study to better understand both the theoretical underpinnings and practical training application of effectuation theory for youth in lower and middle-income countries to inform future programming efforts. It draws on both effectuation theory literature as well as data collected from practitioners employing effectuation theory for their training activities. One of the primary issues that the paper will highlight is the disconnect between the original theory, which attempted to explain the behavior of high-growth entrepreneurs in developed country settings, and its subsequent application to training youth in low and middle-income countries, which has evolved largely independent of the original theory.