ABSTRACT
Introduction Ambition is a good thing but evaluators also have to be realistic. The last chapter showed how planning involved recognising what could be done with the time and resources available. Realism also comes from expect ing practical problems - the subject of this chapter. Thinking ahead about likely problems does increase the chances of a successful evalu ation, but it is not enough. Every evaluation encounters unexpected challenges, such as an evaluation team member becoming pregnant or lost data in a computer crash with no back-up. The many events which throw the study off track call for resourcefulness, creativity, extra time and tolerant family and friends.
