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Realist Evaluation
A theory-driven evaluation approach that begins by articulating how an intervention is expected to work, including the mechanisms, contexts, and outcomes. It then gathers and analyses data from external sources (e.g., stakeholders, programme records) to test and refine this theory, producing explanations of how and why outcomes occur in specific contexts.
When This Method Fits
Typical duration
Months – Long Term
Typical cost
Medium – High
Fidelity level
N/A
Stage
Implementation
Hypothesis type
Mechanism, Outcome
Goal type
Deepen product-market fit, Scale the model, Maximize societal impact, Drive corporate innovation / R&D, Improve operational efficiency
Randomization
Not Possible
Study design
Cluster-randomized design, Benchmarked single-case comparison
Minimum units needed
2
Causal rigor
Min 2 · Max 3 / 5
1Best Fit When
Best when you need to explain why an initiative produces different outcomes in different contexts, not just whether it works on average.