|
Using Qualitative Methods to Identify System Dynamics and Inform System Evaluation Design
|
| Presenter(s):
|
| Margaret Hargreaves, Mathematica Policy Research, mhargreaves@mathematica-mpr.com
|
| Abstract:
Incorporating systems theory and dynamics into early evaluation planning and data gathering can improve an evaluation’s design by capturing key system conditions, dynamics, and points of influence that affect the operation and impact of the system change initiative. At the start of an evaluation, qualitative methods are useful tools for gathering this kind of preliminary information about a system and its dynamics. Rapid assessments, environmental scans, case studies, and key informant interviews are all methods that are well-suited for identifying and describing system dynamics. The information can then be used to inform the rest of the evaluation’s design and methods. But, when system conditions and dynamics are not incorporated into an evaluation’s design, the evaluation will inevitably miss critical aspects of the initiative and its environment, affecting its operation and success.
|
|