WEBINAR – An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Realist Evaluation

For those who are interested in Realist Evaluation but are new to the methods or unsure of the details, and how it can be used, this webinar will introduce and explore the basics of Realist Evaluation, its potential use and effectiveness.

The webinar will explore some of the initial concepts of Realist Evaluation and some of the ways in which it can work to explore how and why programmes or interventions work to produce certain outcomes.

In this webinar, we will draw upon two specific case study examples of where we have utilised Realist Evaluation and the ways in which it helped to uncover what did and didn’t work.:

Local Maternity Network Services Evaluation: This was an evaluation that sought to test and explore how why and for whom families across Hampshire and Isle of Wight engaged in postnatal pathways provided for them.
Active Partnership Evaluation of Asset Based Community Development: This was a realist evaluation that explored the impact of ABCD within physical activity community settings and utilised James Nobles Action Scales Model to help us make sense of how and why impacts emerged.

As part of our webinar we will reflect upon how we engaged stakeholders and attempted to create an environment for acknowledging and making use of the findings.

There will also be an opportunity to ask questions of the speakers on any aspects of the case studies, the forthcoming UKES training course on Realist Evaluation and discussions around Realist Evaluation in general.

Presenters

Dr Kevin Harris is an established evaluator and Associate Professor heading up FHA Consulting. He brings a wealth of contextual knowledge and experience from working in sport, health and physical activity. He specialises at a national level in realist evaluations, professional capacity building and collaborative working with community-based organisations. Dr Harris’s main research interests lie within the areas of evidence, and realist collaborative approaches to evaluation with practitioners in sports management, sport for development and public health.

Henry Dorling

is an experienced Senior Lecturer and evaluator, skilled in stakeholder development and community-based partnership working. He is undertaking a PhD using realist evaluation methodology and has worked across academia and in sport development. His work has been disseminated through peer reviewed academic journal papers, book chapters and presentations at national and international conferences, as well as industry publications.

Louis Ryan is an evaluator with experience in innovative evaluation methods in systems/place-based approaches. He also provides training to stakeholders and community representatives around evaluation methods and fostering evaluative thinking. He has previous experience as a practitioner working for a charity to engage young people in sport and physical activity.

Chaired by

TBC

Registration

In honour of our 30th Birthday, this webinar is free to all attendees!

Slides: available only to UKES members registered for the event

Recording: this event will be recorded. Full version (with Q&A) will be made available to members only for a period of 1 year. Thereafter, Q&A will be removed and the recording made available generally.

Access Details: hosted on Zoom. Access details will be provided after the booking window closes on 7 October at 1400 GMT.