LIST OF PANELS

What is the current state of the art of Realist Evaluation (RE), research and synthesis in the discipline of public policy?

With this methodology panel, we will provide an overview of the use of Realist Evaluation (RE) as applied to public policies. RE belongs to the school of theory-driven evaluation approaches, and has its origins in evaluation of interventions aiming at crime reduction (Pawson and Tilley 1997). Realist Evaluation is a theory-driven evaluation methodology through which programme theories are elicited, tested and refined. The appeal of this approach lies in its potential to co-produce research with stakeholders, identifying the programme theories underlying situations, interventions and programmes, and ‘testing’ these through empirical research. Through repeated evaluations, there is accumulation of knowledge and eventually middle-range theories can be formulated. Since the seminal publication of Realistic Evaluation by Pawson & Tilley in 1997, RE has been increasingly used not only in evaluations, but also in research and knowledge synthesis.

We aim to answer the question: What is the current state of the art of realist evaluation, research and synthesis in the discipline of public policy?

In recent years, Realist Evaluation has particularly taken off in the fields of global health, health systems research and sustainable development, with peer-reviewed publications reaching an all time high in 2021-22. This popularity is due to the recognition of the limitations of more traditional approaches to open the black box. At the core of RE is the search for contextualised, mechanism-based explanations. Going beyond the evaluation of programme effectiveness, realist evaluators aim at answering the question why and how programmes and policies work and under which conditions. It has been used in combination with other innovative (case-based) methodologies, such as process tracing and qualitative comparative analysis. Consequently, Realist Evaluation has been positioned as an alternative for experimental and quasi-experimental designs in the evaluation of complex policies and programmes.

Besides offering an alternative way to the analysis of the processes and outcomes of the different stages of the policymaking and -implementation, RE may be especially useful to analysis of complex policies, in which multiple actors are involved and where context is an integral part of the causal processes underlying outcomes. Realist Evaluation may also provide a different reading and critique of what evidence-based policy making consists of, as it assumes a more political view on what constitutes evidence.

We are inviting contributions that present empirical applications, methodological developments or theoretical reflections that may advance the application of RE in the field of public policy. Empirical papers may cover specific thematic policies, the processes underlying specific policy stages, the participation of policy actors in co-production of RE, etc. Methodological papers could look into how the analytical process of RE can be applied to policy, how RE can contribute to multi-level analysis, how RE can be integrated in or combined with other designs. Theoretical papers could, for instance, compare the philosophical underpinnings of RE with those of other methods, designs, or develop a critique of RE.

During the conference, the Chair/panel proposer will provide a short introduction to Realist Evaluation to the audience. This will be followed by the presentation of papers demonstrating its use in diverse public policy sub-fields. The third part will be a panel discussion, moderated by the Chair and with the presenters, of the current challenges and opportunities related to the use of RE in the field of public policy.

The panel would be onsite.

We are looking for papers demonstrating the use of Realist Evaluation, research or review/synthesis (Pawson & Tilley, 1997; Emmel et al. 2018) for the appraisal of complex public policies and programmes. We aim to discusses challenges as well as opportunities for further methodological development.

We are inviting contributions that present empirical applications, methodological developments or theoretical reflections that may advance the application of RE in the field of public policy. Empirical papers may cover specific thematic policies, the processes underlying specific policy stages, the participation of policy actors in co-production of RE, etc. Methodological papers could look into how the analytical process of RE can be applied to policy, how RE can contribute to multi-level analysis, how RE can be integrated in or combined with other designs. Theoretical papers could, for instance, compare the philosophical underpinnings of RE with those of other methods, designs, or develop a critique of RE.

During the conference, the Chair/panel proposer will provide a short introduction to Realist Evaluation to the audience. This will be followed by the presentation of papers demonstrating its use in diverse public policy sub-fields. The third part will be a panel discussion, moderated by the Chair and with the presenters, of the current challenges and opportunities related to the use of RE in the field of public policy.

The panel would be onsite.