DPI Rapid Review
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DPI Rapid Review
Core concepts, best practices, and future directions in realist evaluation
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Beyond "Does It Work?"
How Realist Evaluation Transforms Public and Social Services
When we establish the linkages between intervention context, mechanisms, and outcomes, we understand not just whether a program succeeds, but how and why it works for different people in different settings.
September 2025
If you've ever wondered why a program that works brilliantly in one community falls flat in another, or why identical interventions produce wildly different results across different settings, you're grappling with one of the most persistent challenges in public and social services. Traditional evaluation approaches often leave us with frustratingly simple answers to complex questions–telling us if something works, but not how, why, or for whom.
Enter realist evaluation: a sophisticated methodology that changes how we understand and improve social programs.
Traditional program evaluation often treats interventions like a "black box"–measuring what goes in and what comes out, but missing the crucial mechanisms happening inside. Realist evaluation opens that box, asking the fundamental question: What works for whom, under what circumstances, how, and why?
This approach recognizes that social programs don't operate in isolation. They function within complex systems where context matters profoundly, and where human responses vary based on individual circumstances, cultural factors, and organizational environments.
At the heart of realist evaluation lies the Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) framework–a tool that systematically connects how specific contextual factors trigger particular mechanisms to produce observed outcomes.
Explore how CMO configurations work with this helpful tool:
Consider the example of a school-based nutrition program that is implemented in different settings. In a low-income rural setting affected by food insecurity, the program might primarily activate a mechanism of hunger relief among children. But in an urban community where young people feel disconnected, the same program could instead trigger a mechanism that makes students feel valued and cared for, leading to entirely different pathways and outcomes.
This nuanced understanding helps organizations tailor their approaches rather than assuming one-size-fits-all solutions.
Successful realist evaluations follow several core best practices:
Theory-Driven Approach: Every program operates on underlying assumptions about how change happens. Realist evaluation makes these theories explicit and tests them systematically.
Iterative Refinement: Rather than following a rigid linear process, the methodology adapts continuously, refining questions and theories as insights emerge.
Meaningful Engagement: Key parties–including program participants, frontline staff, and community members–are involved throughout the process to ensure findings reflect real-world experiences and diverse perspectives.
Method Flexibility: The approach draws on diverse data sources (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods) based on what best illuminates the program theory under investigation.
For social service organizations and government agencies dealing with issues like homelessness, mental health, community safety, or workforce development, realist evaluation offers several strategic advantages, including:
While realist evaluation requires investment in capacity building and methodological development, the evidence suggests significant returns in terms of improved understanding, more effective programming, and better outcomes for the communities these services are designed to support.
The methodology is particularly valuable for complex interventions where traditional evaluation approaches fall short – precisely the kinds of multi-faceted, human-centered programs that characterize much of social services and public policy work.
As social challenges become increasingly complex and interconnected, the need for sophisticated evaluation approaches grows. Realist evaluation offers a pathway beyond simple effectiveness questions toward deeper understanding of how programs can be designed, implemented, and adapted to achieve meaningful change in diverse contexts.
For organizations ready to move beyond asking "does it work?" to understanding "how can we make it work better for the people we serve?", realist evaluation provides both the conceptual framework and practical tools to generate more nuanced, actionable insights.
Are you ready to open the "black box"? The process begins by looking at your program or service in terms of context, mechanisms, and outcomes.
This article summarizes key insights from a rapid scoping review conducted by DPI on core concepts, best practices and future directions in realist evaluation. For more details on frameworks, tools, and implementation guidance, access the full report.
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