A Framework to Combine Mixed Methods Integration and Developmental Evaluation to Study Complex Systems

Abstract

Abstract: This article considers the opportunities and challenges of mixed methods integration within the context of conducting developmental evaluations with diverse stakeholders. The article proposes a four-part planning framework that explicitly maps the eight principles of developmental evaluation to key questions about integration: Why integrate? What will be integrated? When and how will integration occur? The framework is used to explore and compare two large-scale evaluations that employed mixed methods integration. Ultimately, the work illustrates a need to balance data collection with the momentum of moving initiatives forward, check assumptions about stakeholder co-creation, and cultivate integration literacy.