The Logic and Methodology of Checklists

The humble checklist, while no one would deny its utility in evaluation and elsewhere, is usually thought to fall somewhat below the entry level of what we call a methodology, let alone a theory. But many checklists used in evaluation incorporate a quite complex theory, or at least a set of assumptions, which we are well advised to uncover; and the process of validating an evaluative checklist is a task calling for considerable sophistication. Indeed, while the theory underlying a checklist is less ambitious than the kind that we normally call a program theory, it is often all the theory we need for an evaluation.