Jennifer Greene pioneered the study of mixed methods (MM) eval-uations; she distinguished between techniques of data collection, methods of analysis and approaches, and focused on the various pur-poses pursued with the single evaluation design. This elaboration helps us make sense of the current use of MM in evaluation, and of the mo-tivation often underlying the terms of reference that require them. The article distinguishes the logic of MM from that of the hierarchy of methods; it highlights the main focuses under which MM are used, and compares them to the purposes listed by Greene. Then, it comments on the recent development of Greene’s thought, where mixing different approaches becomes a way of making democratic evaluation possible. Based on this framework, and starting from the generic demand for MM evaluation currently found in many terms of reference, the article addresses the theme of what a fruitful relationship between commis-sioners and evaluators could look like.
Keywords: Metodi misti, valutazione democratica, approcci alla va-lutazione, domande dei committenti, scopi