Realist Evaluation
Realist evaluation is a theory-driven approach to evaluating programs and policies that asks not simply 'does it work?' but 'what works, for whom, in what circumstances, and why?'. Developed by Ray Pawson and Nick Tilley in their 1997 book Realistic Evaluation, it treats interventions as theories incarnate: programs offer resources or opportunities that trigger underlying mechanisms of reasoning and response in participants, and those mechanisms only fire in particular contexts. The unit of analysis is the Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) configuration, and the goal is to build and refine middle-range theory that explains differential outcomes across settings.
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Sources
- Pawson, R., & Tilley, N. (1997). Realistic Evaluation. London: SAGE Publications. ISBN: 9780761950097
- Pawson, R. (2006). Evidence-Based Policy: A Realist Perspective. London: SAGE Publications. ISBN: 9781412910606
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Realist Evaluation of Programs and Policies. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/public-policy/realist-evaluation
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
- Contribution AnalysisPublic Policy↔ compare
- Process EvaluationPublic Policy↔ compare
- Realist SynthesisEvidence Synthesis↔ compare
- Theory of Change EvaluationPublic Policy↔ compare