July 10th, 2024
On May 27th and 30th, YoPA PhD students and some of the senior researchers engaged in a valuable training led by Dr. Justin Jagosh, Director of the Centre for Advancement in Realist Evaluation and Synthesis. This introductory workshop provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of the Realist approach and equipped them with practical tools for implementation, which will be crucial for applying the methodology within YoPA.
Topics covered included realist philosophy, program theorizing, developing CMO configurations and initial program theories, as well as tools for realist synthesis. The training significantly bolstered the team’s methodological skills and knowledge, as Vongani Maluleke, PhD student from the University of Witwatersrand expressed:
“The realist evaluation workshop broadened my understanding about what the theory attempts to achieve, such as what works, for whom, and under which circumstances. I understand it is theory driven and made to assess policies, programmes, services, and interventions. The workshop also improved my understanding between realist evaluation and realist synthesis which differs through primary and secondary analysis“.