Category Archives: Reporting/ Dissemination

Interactive Documentary in Evaluation, Learning and Change

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global pillowcase project-idoc

We’ve continued to work with the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (American Red Cross/ IFRC) on the Pillowcase Project International Pilot and its evaluation. Capitalizing on the features that interactive documentary can offer compared to convention linear video products this i-doc was developed not only to create something that would be more engaging than a traditional text-based report and help disseminate evaluation information to a wider audience (still, designed to complement the text report), but also in an effort to turn evaluation materials into something of a toolkit, hopefully expand the utility of evaluation materials by creating this new kind of product. For learning, training, knowledge management type work we think it has a lot of potential.
A basic illustration of interactive features integrated into a specific sequence can be seen in the video titled “Presentation Structure and Features.” It offers a few examples of the way a viewer can move around within a specific sequence and jump to a particular topic, as well as the way we can integrate a video (though it can be any kind of element- photo, audio clip, weblink, map, pop up article or PDF) within the video. The timeline identifies the location of some of the interactive elements. Point is with this first i-doc we’ve only started to scratch the surface of what can be done in terms of interactivity and the opportunities that this format offers to integrate many types and sources of information into the product.

Pillow Case Project International Pilot Peru: Video Case Study

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In December 2014 we went to Peru for American Red Cross/ Global Disaster Preparedness Center as part of the evaluation team. Purpose was to develop a knowledge-rich video case study about the adaptation, implementation and results of the Pillow Case Project in Peru for use by other Red Cross chapters in Peru as they scale up, as well as by other countries considering the project. Six countries were part of the initial international pilot funded by Disney with more than double that number of participating countries anticipated for 2015. The Video Case Study is intended to be an evaluation and knowledge management product that informs design and implementation from country to country. The opportunity exists to develop additional videos from all the footage we captured and interviews we conducted, more targeted for advocacy and communications. Quimera has also constructed the initial installments for a video-based KM archive for the project based on the raw footage collected in the field.

The inclusion of a video drone as part of the equipment mix was a first for Quimera, very exciting. Aerial footage of the the earthquake and tsunami affected communities offered a very powerful perspective and helped to provide important visual context to the project.

One again Taylor Krauss was part of the Quimera team, and brilliant as always.

Click here to watch the full length Video Case Study.

Global Disaster Preparedness Center: Video Case Study of Universal First Aid App

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Disaster preparedness (DP) practitioners have expressed a growing interest in case studies as a way to learn, to better understand the challenges faced by their colleagues around the world as well as the innovative solutions developed to meet those challenges.

As part of GDPC’s efforts to support and facilitate the development of video case studies by Red Cross/Red Crescent societies and other DP practitioners Quimera worked with GDPC and the Argentinian Red Cross to help conceptualize, produce and edit the Universal First Aid App video case. Serving as a demonstration project, highlighting a “participatory video” or “DIY” approach, the video was filmed by team members from GDPC and Argentinian Red Cross on smartphones. Footage was then sent to Quimera for review and editing into a final case study. Quimera provided consulting, case development and technical support to GDPC and Argentinian Red Cross throughout the process.

The video provides an overview of the Program while offering insights into the work of the Argentinian Red Cross during the process of development and launch of the First Aid App in their country.

More broadly, Quimera has been working with GDPC to develop guidance and support that can assist DP practitioners to develop their own case studies, including case studies that integrate video and multimedia.

US Department of State: Evaluation Training Video Components

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Quimera worked with Social Impact to develop video components for SI’s evaluation training courses provided to the US Department of State, Designing Evaluation and Managing Evaluation. The footage used to create the videos was drawn from the USAID GEM-3 Project Evaluation Video, also developed by Social Impact and Quimera for USAID’s Office of Learning, Evaluation and Research (coming soon to USAID/ LER).

This snippet opens a section focusing on community interview techniques.

UBELONG/ Cusco Research Expedition Video Report: Intro

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UBELONG partnered with Quimera to make video a part of their qualitative research toolkit during UBELONG’s Cusco Research Expedition. Quimera provided the team with some basic training prior to departure then it was up to the team to manage in the field. With a crazy schedule, packed with research and volunteering responsibilities, the team did a great job of documenting the expedition, capturing individual interviews, describing the process, initial thoughts, and overall experiences. While the camera rotated between team members the majority of the footage was shot by co-expedition team leader, and UBELONG Co-Founder, Raul Roman, a master behind the camera. Upon the team’s return to DC Quimera took the raw footage and edited the material into a video report which mirrored the same basic structure as the text-report.

 

NASTAD/ A Través de Nuestros Ojos (Through Our Eyes): A Video Report

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In this chapter the research team discusses the importance of a report in video form, complementing the text-based report. Quimera worked with NASTAD to develop a video report based on a year-long qualitative research project investigating responses of health departments and community-based organizations to the HIV/AIDS crisis among Latino gay men in the U.S. The video report mirrors the written report: A Través de Nuestros Ojos (Through Our Eyes): Promoting Health and Social Equity to Address HIV/AIDS Among Latino Gay Men.

This video report was the first video report funded by the National Institutes for Health Office of AIDS Research, and one of the first by NIH.

SAIS/ Johns Hopkins: Video in Practical Research Methods

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Professor Raul Roman, also Co-Founder of UBELONG, has invited me in to his class on Research Methods for a number of semesters to discuss the use of video in qualitative research and evaluation. Here’s a video we did from the very first time I came to class… lots of fun, and the students were fantastic.

UN Population Fund/ African Youth Alliance Video Report: M&E

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UN Population Fund/African Youth Alliance Video Report: Botswana

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In 2005 Quimera worked with the Director of Research at the UN Population Fund and their African Youth Alliance Program (AYA) to develop a project evaluation video report as part of program close-out and project documentation. As one of the first UNFPA projects designed as a full partnership with youth program leadership wanted to understand the impacts of youth participation on the project. Through a list serve Quimera was a resource for in-country project youth teams, offering training and support related to audio and visual production and interviewing. In-country youth teams conducted and filmed interviews and focus groups, sending all raw footage to Quimera for editing into a final video report.

Latin American Youth Center: Tobacco Prevention

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Quimera worked with a team of young people from LAYC to develop a community intervention to help decrease tobacco sales to minors. The strategy included the development of an educational video, conceptualized, produced and edited by the youth team. Quimera trained the team in basics of documentary film making, concept development, interviewing techniques, production and editing, guiding the team through the entire process. The team then took their educational video out to the community, targeting neighborhood shopkeepers, owners and employees, letting them better understand the health risks to young people from smoking as well as the local laws (and penalties) regulating tobacco sales to minors.

This is a snippet from the video report created by Quimera following the team throughout the project. The full version of the project video can be seen here.