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

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 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.