The Art and Craft of Bricolage in Evaluation

This Practice Paper from the Centre for Development Impact makes the case for ‘bricolage’ in complexity-aware and qualitative evaluation methods.

It provides a framework based on a review of 33 methods (including Outcome Mapping and Outcome Harvesting) to support evaluators to be more intentional about bricolage and to combine the component parts of relevant methods more effectively. It discusses two cases from practice to illustrate the value added of taking a more intentional approach. It further argues that navigating different forms of power is a critical skill for bricolage, and that doing so can help to ensure rigour.