Learning from experiences of evaluators implementing theory-driven evaluations in diverse settings: Building on the contributions of John Mayne

• Published in: Evaluation and program planning 2023-04, Vol.97, p.102257, Article 102257
• Main Authors: Sridharan, Sanjeev, Nakaima, April
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ecologies of evidence; Epistemic fluency; Program evaluation; Program mechanisms; Theory of change; Theory-driven evaluation
• ISSN: 0149-7189
• DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2023.102257

The papers in this volume grapple with various issues related to the use of theories of change in program evaluation. This introductory paper reviews some of the critical challenges that arise in developing and learning from theory-driven evaluations. These challenges include the relationship between theories of change and ecologies of evidence, the need for epistemic fluency in learning, and coming to terms with the initial incompleteness of knowledge in program mechanisms. The nine papers that follow, which represent a geographically diverse set of evaluations and evaluators (including Scotland, India, Canada, USA), help develop these and other themes. This volume of papers also serves as a celebration of the work of John Mayne, one of the foremost theory-driven evaluators of the last few decades. John passed away in December of 2020. This volume is intended to honor his legacy while also identifying challenging issues that call for further development. •This is an introductory chapter that introduces a variety of issues related to applying theory-driven evaluation.•This volume of paper seeks to learn from evaluators from Canada, India, Scotland and USA.•The connections between theories of change and ecologies of evidence are discussed.•The papers in this volume discuss how to develop the connections between theory and evidence.•This chapter also briefly introduces the papers in this volume.