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. 2020 Apr 16;5(4):e002269. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002269

Table 2.

Three main implementation studies

Type of implementation study Objective Use of models of causation Three examples in global health
1. Fidelity assessment To evaluate the degree to which an intervention is implemented as intended.

  • Intervention theory.

  • Framework.

  • Performance-based financing in Burkina Faso.63

  • Free care for caesarean sections in Benin.88

  • Community health volunteers in Uganda.89
2. Process evaluation To understand how the intervention unfolded, its internal dynamics and the factors that influenced its implementation.

  • Intervention theory.

  • Framework.

  • Concepts borrowed from middle-range and grand theory.

  • Skilled birth attendance intervention in Mozambique.90

  • Performance-based financing in Uganda.91

  • Sustainability process for performance-based financing in Mali.92
3. Complex evaluation To explain the relationships between an intervention and its outcomes in different contextual settings.

  • Intervention theory.

  • Framework.

  • Middle-range theory.

  • Grand theory.

  • Hospital management in Ghana.77

  • Free care theory in Africa.79

  • Rogers Innovations theory on performance-based financing in Burkina Faso.93