Theory-based Evaluation

Agathe Devaux-Spatarakis (1)

1 Quadrant Conseil

Theory-based evaluation was developed in response to the limitations of experimental and quasiexperimental approaches, which do not capture the mechanisms by which an intervention produces its impacts. This approach consists of opening the "black box" of public policy by breaking down the different stages of the causal chain linking the intervention to its final impacts. The hypotheses thus formulated on the mechanisms at play can then be tested empirically.

Keywords: qualitative methods; theory; causal chain; intervention logic; theory of change; impact pathway

Domains: Humanities and Social Sciences; Political science

Agathe Devaux-Spatarakis. Theory-based Evaluation. LIEPP Methods Brief n°28, 2023, 5 p. ⟨hal-04159080⟩