How do you choose the right analytical strategy for a realistevaluation — and why does it matter so much?

In this thoughtful and practical conversation, Alejandro isjoined by Steffen Bohni, Director General of Denmark’s National Research Centre for the Working Environment, to explore the critical role of analytical strategies in realist evaluation and synthesis. With over 25 years in evaluation, Steffen shares lessons from his collaborations with Sebastian Lemire and insights from two decades of realist literature.

From the importance of methodological congruence tonavigating real-world constraints like time, budget, and messy data, Steffen offers a clear-eyed view of what it takes to design analysis that is both rigorous and realistic. He explains when and why techniques like Qualitative Comparative Analysis, process tracing, link coding, or structural equation modelling might be best suited — and how to combine them without losing analytical coherence.

You’ll hear practical tips for planning analysis from dayone, managing complexity with a feasible number of CMO configurations, and staying aligned with realist principles even under pressure. Whether you’re new to realist evaluation or refining your analytical approach, this episode will give you a grounded framework for making your analysis work harder and smarter.