Technical Note: Conducting Mixed-Method Evaluations

Over the past three decades, evaluators and others in the development field have increasingly recognized that incorporating multiple methods into a single evaluation often results in a stronger, more complete evaluation than conventional evaluation approaches relying on only one method. This trend has led to a rapidly growing interest in mixed-method evaluations among both practitioners and evaluators. At least two journals dedicated to mixed-method evaluations have been launched, and the number of books on the subject is growing steadily. Notably, USAID’s Evaluation Policy strongly endorses mixed-method evaluation approaches: “Given the nature of development activities, both qualitative and quantitative methods yield valuable findings, and a combination of both often is optimal.” (p. 4) This Technical Note provides guidance to USAID staff and partners on how mixed-method evaluations are conducted and important considerations when managing a mixed-method evaluation.