Susan Rooney-Harding - Founder
The Story Catcher - Evaluation and Qualitative Data specialist
Susan Rooney-Harding is a documentary filmmaker, creative qualitative research specialist, and community storyteller who works to make lived experience visible in ways that support understanding, accountability, and social change. She is the founder of The Story Catchers – Stories for Purpose (established in 2012) and has over fifteen years’ experience designing participatory, film-based methodologies that help communities share their stories and contribute to program design, monitoring, evaluation, impact reporting, and learning.
With an early background in nursing, Susan brings a person-centred, trauma-informed, and ethically grounded approach to story-based research—particularly in health, Indigenous, and social impact contexts where trust and relational accountability are essential. Her work spans Aboriginal, regional, and remote communities across Australia, Asia, and the Pacific, translating complex social realities into accessible, evidence-informed stories.
Across sectors including health, education, social cohesion, environmental regeneration, transport, and employment, Susan delivers end-to-end projects—from research design and fieldwork through to interviewing, filming, editing, synthesis, and publication—drawing on approaches such as participatory video, adapted Most Significant Change, PhotoVoice, and Warm Data Lab facilitation.
She is a member of the Australian Evaluation Society and the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, and previously worked with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, including as ABC Open Producer for the Riverland (2010–2013).
Content that Susan has created with communities has been seen on News 24, Landline, ABC Online, ABC Open, ABC Rural and the 730 Report.
Her work has been featured in the Sydney Museum, Adelaide Festival Centre, Northern Rivers National Portrait Prize exhibitions at the Lismore Regional Gallery and Murray Bridge Regional Art Gallery, South Australian Living Artists (SALA).
Nerissa Walton - Associate
MONITORING & EVALUATION SPECIALIST
With over 25 years experience in environmental health, international development, nature-based solutions and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), Nerissa specialises in delivering evidence-based insights to improve policy, programs and sustainability initiatives. Her work spans government, non-profits and the private sector, focusing on climate policy, carbon markets, and strategic evaluation.
As the founder of Nereus Consulting, she has led and supported MEL work for organisations including the Fred Hollows Foundation, the Pacific Community, the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board, ACIAR/University of Melbourne and various government agencies. Together, Nerissa and Susan have collaborated using visual participatory methods on a variety of evaluations for the Sammy D Foundation, Australian Red Cross, Enel Energy and SA Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. Nerissa has led and supported carbon market projects for organisations including The Nature Conservancy, the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation and various government agencies and private companies. Her expertise includes project development and the provision of high-level policy analysis for carbon offset projects, blue carbon initiatives, and environmental restoration efforts.
Previously, she held senior roles at the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, where she was responsible for national policy, program development, and carbon market strategy. She is an active member of the Australian Evaluation Society, the American Evaluation Association, and the Carbon Market Institute. Passionate about using data and evaluation to drive real-world impact, she loves collaborating with diverse stakeholders to enhance program effectiveness and sustainability outcomes.