Bringing institutions back in: Neo-institutionalism and impact evaluation

While impact evaluation has moved away from strictly behavioural approaches (as embodied by randomised controlled trials) to include contexts and mechanisms, the role of institutions as explanatory mechanisms has so far been understudied. This lack of reflection on institutions in impact evaluation contrasts with the centrality of neo-institutionalism in policy analysis. This article draws on the inputs of these theoretical reflections developed in policy analysis to theorise how institutions can be analysed as an explanatory mechanism in impact evaluation. The fruitfulness of this perspective is empirically illustrated by the case of an impact evaluation of French community centres. The article shows how community centres as institutions mediate the impact of a variety of community-based interventions through fostering a welcoming culture, encouraging the expression of residents’ needs and wishes, and relying on organisational flexibility and embeddedness.