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Donaldson and Lipsey (2006) suggest that a well-developed programme theory is useful for framing key evaluation questions and designing sensitive and responsive evaluations. This process often involves programme stakeholders in the articulation of programme theory. While most evaluators would agree that a well-developed programme theory is important some groups of evaluators would go further. In recent years both theories of change and realistic evaluation have developed rapidly and they possess some similarities: both see limitations in methods-driven approaches to evaluation design, see theory development as critical to the evaluation process, and emphasise the importance of programme context in understanding how programmes lead to changes in outcomes (Blamey and Mackenzie 2007). And yet they are not entirely interchangeable approaches, use theory in slightly different ways, and arguably are differently suited to evaluating projects, programmes and policies (ibid.). In Chapter 3 we look in more detail at programme theory and in particular at a popular evaluation tool – ‘theories of change’.