Researchers working on the IDEAS project have been considering context and the role of contextual factors in the evaluation of maternal and newborn health evaluation even before the official start of the IDEAS project. As such, IDEAS has been intentional in how we’ve approached the collection and use of contextual factors from the beginning of the programme. This paper articulates how we defined, collected and used contextual factors during IDEAS Phase I. Many lessons were learned and we’ve adjusted our approach for IDEAS Phase II to integrate contextual data collection into ongoing data collection processes. While implementing this protocol proved challenging, we recognize that if it were easy, it would be done well by many. We continue to learn and test new ways of approaching contextual factors. We hope this article will contribute to the broader dialogue around contextual factor and call for guidelines to support complex evaluations of maternal and newborn health programmes.