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

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 integrationoccur? Th e 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.