The challenges of evaluating large-scale, multi-partner programmes: the case of NIHR CLAHRCs

The limited extent to which research evidence is utilised in healthcare and other public services
is widely acknowledged. The United Kingdom government has attempted to address this gap by
funding nine Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRCs).
CLAHRCs aim to carry out health research, implement research findings in local healthcare
organisations and build capacity across organisations for generating and using evidence. This
wide-ranging brief requires multifaceted approaches; assessing CLAHRCs’ success thus poses
challenges for evaluation. This paper discusses these challenges in relation to seven CLAHRC
evaluations, eliciting implications and suggestions for others evaluating similarly complex
interventions with diverse objectives.