A Scoping Review and Critical Analysis of the Literature Surrounding a Systems-thinking Approach to Realist Evaluation, in the Context of Monitoring and Evaluation

This article serves to analyse and review the literature surrounding a Monitoring and Evaluation methodology utilising a systems-thinking approach to realist evaluation. Such an approach could gain more realistic evaluation results by considering the context of the project as a dynamic system. The article further examines the literature to reflect on what has been done thus far surrounding a systems-thinking approach to realist evaluation in healthcare. The results indicated that a systems-thinking approach to realist evaluation is an emerging topic and has predominantly been applied to projects involving social interventions. Furthermore, the literature revealed that the topic has been applied to the healthcare sector and can be considered suitable for applications in the realm of healthcare.