A brief introduction to Realist Evaluation .docVIP

A brief introduction to Realist Evaluation The term ‘realist evaluation’ is drawn from Pawson and Tilley’s seminal work, Realistic Evaluation 1997 . It is, as its name suggests, an approach grounded in realism, a school of philosophy which asserts that both the material and the social worlds are ‘real’ and can have real effects; and that it is possible to work towards a closer understanding of what causes change. Some of the implications which Pawson and Tilley raise for program evaluation include the following: Social programs are an attempt to address an existing social problem – that i