Transitional Justice and Theories of Change

Towards evaluation as understanding

Bibliographic Data

ID5789797
AuthorsPaul Gready (0000-0001-6353-7372, University of York), Simon Robin (0000-0002-6445-2159, Weatherford College)
Year2020
Volume14
Issue2
Pages280-299
Publication date2020-03-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Transitional Justice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1752-7716 • E-ISSN: 1752-7724
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/ijtj/ijaa008
OpenAlexW3045301253
LanguageEN
Citations received24
References cited11

This article has two goals. First, to make explicit the theories of change currently operative within transitional justice and, second, to critically engage with both these theories, and dominant theories in international development. As such, it seeks to replace a focus on results, attribution, and linearity with a privileging of process, contribution and complexity. Developing theories of change for transitional justice is challenging, as it is characterised by diverse interventions, complex and contested contexts, and the need to balance principles and pragmatism. Normative, linear and mechanism-based claims remain dominant, while the evidence base for transitional justice is still weak. This article looks at insights from adjacent fields, some of the challenges facing the development of theories of change within transitional justice, and evidence from impact studies and evaluations. In a final section we propose an alternative, drawing on complexity theory and actor-oriented approaches, which suggest an important set of terms - systems, interaction, contingency, context, encounter, emergence, incrementalism - to inform what we term evaluation as understanding

Contingency · Incrementalism · Pragmatism · Transitional justice · Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics · Peacebuilding and International Security · Political Conflict and Governance

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Open DOIOpen Access