Complex service evaluation

Services represent the practical manifestation of the synthesis of research knowledge and real world factors. In order to develop the evaluation of complex services, there needs to be a consensus about what a complex service is. I suggest that it is a system for the supplying of a public need. Whilst there is strong academic and policy support for a systems-based approach, there is only limited understanding in the clinical and managerial community and limited skills within the health and social care research community on systems methodologies. Evaluation of complex systems will probably need an integration of existing evaluative methods with a soft systems approach.