What makes realist evaluation so valuable in global health, and what does it take to apply it meaningfully?In this rich and reflective conversation, Alejandro is joined by Assistant Professor Brynne Gilmore, whose career has taken her from community health programmes in East Africa to leading realist research and mentoring PhD students at University College Dublin.Brynne shares how she first discovered realist approaches, why they’re so suited to the complexity of global health systems, and what it really means to work ethically, relationally, and with cultural awareness in contexts far from where the approach was born.From navigating power dynamics and co-producing knowledge to adapting interviews and focus groups so they resonate locally, Brynne offers practical insights grounded in years of fieldwork and methodological reflection.Whether you’re stepping into global health evaluation for the first time, refining your approach to stakeholder engagement, or looking for ways to close the capacity gap in realist research worldwide, this episode will give you both inspiration and practical tools.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related