An integrated realist evaluation model to evaluate organisational interventions

Organisational interventions are the recommended approach for improving employees? health and wellbeing, but evaluating these complex interventions is challenging. Realist evaluation is a promising approach to evaluate interventions; it aims to answer the question of ?what works for whom in which circumstances?? by studying how the mechanisms of an intervention work in a certain context to bring about certain outcomes in Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) configurations. Based on realist evaluation, Nielsen and Abildgaard (2013) proposed a five-phase model to evaluate organisational interventions. We extend the five-phase model to capture more intervention components and align better with realist evaluation. First, to include further crucial intervention components to evaluate, we integrate the content of the RE-AIM framework into the five-phase model. Second, we provide guidance on when and how to develop and test CMO configurations for each intervention component. Thus, we develop an ?integrated realist evaluation model?. Also, we review the most recent evidence in the literature regarding the intervention components and develop an example of a CMO configuration for each component. As such, this article contributes to the understanding of ?how to? evaluate complex organisational interventions that can be used to design, implement, and evaluate future organisational interventions.Organisational interventions are the recommended approach for improving employees? health and wellbeing, but evaluating these complex interventions is challenging. Realist evaluation is a promising approach to evaluate interventions; it aims to answer the question of ?what works for whom in which circumstances?? by studying how the mechanisms of an intervention work in a certain context to bring about certain outcomes in Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) configurations. Based on realist evaluation, Nielsen and Abildgaard (2013) proposed a five-phase model to evaluate organisational interventions. We extend the five-phase model to capture more intervention components and align better with realist evaluation. First, to include further crucial intervention components to evaluate, we integrate the content of the RE-AIM framework into the five-phase model. Second, we provide guidance on when and how to develop and test CMO configurations for each intervention component. Thus, we develop an ?integrated realist evaluation model?. Also, we review the most recent evidence in the literature regarding the intervention components and develop an example of a CMO configuration for each component. As such, this article contributes to the understanding of ?how to? evaluate complex organisational interventions that can be used to design, implement, and evaluate future organisational interventions.