Transforming the use of documentary film, participatory media, & forums in monitoring, evaluation and to create visual reports

Using documentary story and stakeholder participation in monitoring, evaluation and to create visual reports. It’s the story behind the numbers that bring a traditionally dry and boring process to life.

The Story Catchers' use evidence based qualitative data collection methodologies, participatory media (where the audience can play an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing and sharing media content) and documentary videographers to collect stories that have a greater purpose.

These stories are edited to create a series of documentaries that are used in participatory forums where the stories are unpacked for the monitoring, evaluation and reporting process.

The findings are then used to produce a traditional written report. This report and media previously collected are then edited to create a short visual evidence based documentary report (approx. 8-10min) that accompanies the written report - this brings an often unread document to life.

This visual report methodology that 'The Story Catchers' has created was used to help evaluate the ‘One the Right Track Remote' drivers licensing program in the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in South Australia.

The final documentary can be used not only for M&E and reporting but also for communications, shaping program direction, education purposes, for evidence of effectiveness for refunding and policy change, and even to help with changing legislation. A minister is more likely to watch an 8min documentary that read a 100-page report!

A lot of our work is with government agencies that are looking to implement more inclusive and culturally appropriate evaluation and reporting methodologies within the indigenous space and beyond.

For more information about what we do and examples of our work visit www.thestorycatchers.com.au