Personas for program evaluation: Insights from a gender-focused evaluation in Cambodia

MacArthur, J; Moung, V; Carrard, N; Willetts, J

Personas for program evaluation: Insights from a gender-focused evaluation in Cambodia

MacArthur, J

Moung, V Carrard, N

Willetts, J

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Publisher:: SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Evaluation, 2024, 31, (1), pp. 70-91
Issue Date:: 2024-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	MacArthur, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6645-5767
dc.contributor.author	Moung, V
dc.contributor.author	Carrard, N https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3371-9113
dc.contributor.author	Willetts, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3975-9642
dc.date.accessioned	2025-02-17T23:20:39Z
dc.date.available	2025-02-17T23:20:39Z
dc.date.issued	2024-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Evaluation, 2024, 31, (1), pp. 70-91
dc.identifier.issn	1356-3890
dc.identifier.issn	1461-7153
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/185151
dc.description.abstract	In this article, we argue for the utility of evaluative personas to address common challenges associated with analyzing qualitative data and to support actionable evaluation insights. Personas are fictional composite characters representing subgroups within a broader population. To explore the value of persona development in evaluation, a team of researchers and practitioners applied a persona-based approach to midline evaluation of a gender mainstreaming activity within a sanitation program. Fourteen personas were identified from on 199 micro-narratives of change, through thematic analysis and natural-language processing. The personas were used to communicate evaluation insights and as a frame to strengthen gender mainstreaming practice. Our case highlights the value of personas for (1) providing a feasible means to analyze complex textual data sets, (2) producing engaging content that promotes evaluative program reflections, and (3) creating profiles for designing future activities. We reflect on opportunities for other programs to use personas in their evaluations.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
dc.relation.ispartof	Evaluation
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1177/13563890241284425
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1599 Other Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
dc.subject.classification	4404 Development studies
dc.subject.classification	4409 Social work
dc.subject.classification	4410 Sociology
dc.title	Personas for program evaluation: Insights from a gender-focused evaluation in Cambodia
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	31
utslib.for	1599 Other Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF)
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-02-17T23:20:37Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	31
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

In this article, we argue for the utility of evaluative personas to address common challenges associated with analyzing qualitative data and to support actionable evaluation insights. Personas are fictional composite characters representing subgroups within a broader population. To explore the value of persona development in evaluation, a team of researchers and practitioners applied a persona-based approach to midline evaluation of a gender mainstreaming activity within a sanitation program. Fourteen personas were identified from on 199 micro-narratives of change, through thematic analysis and natural-language processing. The personas were used to communicate evaluation insights and as a frame to strengthen gender mainstreaming practice. Our case highlights the value of personas for (1) providing a feasible means to analyze complex textual data sets, (2) producing engaging content that promotes evaluative program reflections, and (3) creating profiles for designing future activities. We reflect on opportunities for other programs to use personas in their evaluations.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/185151