How to Use Video in Your Monitoring and Evaluation Process
Last Updated: 3 seconds ago by Astral Studios Staff
Monitoring and evaluation is how organisations prove their work is making a difference. This article is for South African NGOs, NPOs, government departments, and CSI programme managers who want to use video as part of that process — not instead of it, but alongside it.
Here is a question worth sitting with for a moment. You spend three years running a programme, training 400 people and changing lives. And then you hand your funder a 40-page PDF.
Does anyone read it cover to cover? Be honest.
The executive summary gets a skim. The data tables get a glance. The rest? It sits in an inbox. Meanwhile, the real story — the woman who started a business after your training, the school garden that actually grew — goes untold.
That is the gap video fills.
What Is Monitoring and Evaluation?
Before we get into video, let’s make sure we are talking about the same thing. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is a process of collecting and checking information to see whether a programme is working.
Monitoring vs evaluation — what is the difference?
These two words often travel together, but they do different jobs.
Monitoring is ongoing. It tracks whether your activities and outputs are on track. Are you doing what you said you would do? Are the numbers adding up? Think of it as checking the temperature every day.
Evaluation is periodic. It asks bigger questions. Did the programme work? Why or why not? What changed for the people you served? Think of it as the annual health check.
Both feed into funder reports and internal learning. And both are better with visual evidence.
Most M&E systems are built around a Theory of Change — a framework that maps inputs through activities, outputs, short-term outcomes, long-term outcomes, and ultimately to impact. The DGMT’s M&E guide for NGOs is one of the best free SA-focused resources on how to build this framework from scratch.
Who does monitoring and evaluation in South Africa?
Almost everyone who receives donor funding has to do some form of M&E.
Government departments operate under the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) framework. NGOs and NPOs report to CSI funders like Nedbank, Anglo American, and Old Mutual, as well as international donors like USAID, GIZ, and the EU. Community-based organisations often do participatory M&E, where the community itself tracks change.
The South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA) is the professional body for M&E practitioners in SA, and their work is worth following if this is your field.
All of these audiences can use video — but for slightly different reasons.
Why Written Reports Are Not Enough
Nobody is saying written reports are useless. They are not. A well-structured report tells a funder what happened, how money was spent, and what the numbers show. That matters.
But a written report cannot do what a two-minute video can. It cannot show a funder the look on someone’s face when they describe what changed for them. A written report can’t put a funder in a room where 60 people are learning a new skill. And nothing in a spreadsheet makes someone feel something.
And feeling something is often what leads to renewed funding.
FundsForNGOs noted in early 2025 that multimedia in proposals and reports is no longer a nice-to-have. Funders who receive dozens of text-heavy documents are increasingly expecting visual evidence alongside the numbers.
There is also a very practical SA angle here. CSI funders typically release funding in tranches tied to milestone reporting. A short video update at each milestone does something a written report struggles to do — it shows the funder that the work is actually happening, in the place they funded, with real people. That kind of confidence can make the difference between the next tranche arriving on time and a funder requesting an audit.
Video does not replace the written report. Think of the written report as the skeleton and the video as the flesh. You need both.
Where Video Fits in the Monitoring and Evaluation Process
Here is the mistake most organisations make. They think about video at the end of a project. By then, they have missed the baseline. They have missed the implementation story. All they can film is the outcome — and without the “before”, the “after” means very little.
The fix is simple: plan your M&E video at the same time you plan your M&E system.
Baseline footage — before the programme starts
Film the community or setting before a single rand is spent on activities. Interview two or three people about the problem they are facing. Show the space, the school, the site, the farm — whatever your programme is addressing.
This footage costs almost nothing to capture. But in three years’ time, it is gold. A 90-second clip of someone describing a problem they had, followed by a 90-second clip of the same person describing how things changed, is worth more than any written baseline report.
Milestone monitoring clips — during implementation
At each reporting milestone, someone on the team should film a short 60 to 90 second update. A field worker walks the camera through what is happening. You see the training session, the building going up, the participants arriving.
These clips do not need to be polished. In fact, raw footage from the field is often more credible than a produced corporate video. Authenticity is evidence. Assign one person on your team to be responsible for this before the programme starts — not when the deadline arrives.
The evaluation film — at the end
This is the more produced piece. A 3 to 5 minute film pulls together beneficiary testimonials, before-and-after footage, and a clear narrative about what the programme achieved and why.
A well-made evaluation film does a lot of work. It goes into the final donor report, appears on the organisation’s website, plays at the annual gala, and gets shared on LinkedIn. One film, multiple uses — and the cost per use drops every time you use it.
Participatory video — a different approach
It is worth mentioning briefly. Participatory video is a methodology where communities film themselves, capturing their own stories of change. InsightShare and BetterEvaluation have written well about this approach. This approach works best in community-based programmes where self-expression is itself a programme goal. Facilitating it is more complex and usually needs specialist support. Most SA organisations talking about video for M&E are after something simpler.
What to Include in a Monitoring and Evaluation Video
A good M&E video is not a promotional film. It is evidence. The goal is not to make the organisation look good. The goal is to show a funder what happened.
| Video stage | Ideal length | Who speaks | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline / kick-off | 60–90 sec | Beneficiaries | The problem before the programme |
| Milestone update | 60–90 sec | Field worker or PM | Outputs delivered to date |
| Mid-project review | 2–3 min | Mix of voices | Early outcomes, challenges, adjustments |
| End-of-project evaluation | 3–5 min | Beneficiaries + staff | Full story, outcomes, impact |
What makes a strong beneficiary testimonial?
Specificity. “Before this programme, I had no income and my kids were not in school” is useful. “This programme helped me a lot” is not.
Film people in real contexts — on the farm, at the workshop, outside the clinic. Not in an office. Not with a logo behind them. Real places make real stories believable.
Keep each testimonial short. One person, one clear message, under two minutes. A funder watching five testimonials that each make one strong point will remember them. A single eight-minute testimonial with no clear focus will lose them at minute two.
What funders actually want to see
This is an opinion, but it comes from conversations with NGO comms teams and CSI managers over many years. Funders do not want a slick corporate video. Overproduction looks like spin. What they want is visual proof that the programme ran — that real people showed up, that activities happened, that something changed.
They want to see the location, hear from beneficiaries in their own words, and get early indicators that the programme is producing outcomes — not just outputs. And they want the human story behind the numbers.
POPIA and Consent — What SA Organisations Need to Know
Filming beneficiaries means processing their personal information. Under South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), this requires consent that is voluntary, specific, and informed.
A general programme agreement is not enough. You need a separate consent form that explains exactly what footage will be filmed, who will see it, and where it will be published. If you plan to send the video to a funder and post it on your website, both of those uses need to be stated clearly.
For children, parental or guardian consent is required. Full stop.
POPIA penalties can reach R10 million or 10% of annual turnover, whichever is higher. That is not a risk worth taking over a missing signature.
One practical note for SA organisations working in multilingual communities: if the person giving consent does not read English well, explain the consent form verbally in their preferred language before asking them to sign. Consent must be informed. A signature on a form they did not understand is not informed consent.
A professional video production company will handle consent documentation as part of their process. If you film in-house, use a consent template and treat it as seriously as any other M&E data collection form.
DIY vs Professional Video — Which One Do You Need?
Not every M&E video needs a production company. But some absolutely do.
When a smartphone is fine
Milestone monitoring clips work well on a smartphone. A field worker filming a 90-second update from the training site, sent via email to a programme officer — that does not need a crew. Quick field updates shared internally or in a WhatsApp group with a funder are fine on a phone.
A few basic rules: shoot landscape (horizontal), get close to your subject so the microphone picks up their voice clearly, and film in decent light. Bad audio is the one thing that makes footage unusable. Light can be fixed; audio often can’t.
When you need a professional crew
The end-of-project evaluation film. Any video that will appear in a funder presentation, on your website, or at an event. Multi-location shoots that need editing across several days of footage. Government department commissions. Anything that goes to a sophisticated funder who will draw conclusions about your organisation’s credibility based on what they see.
A client once came in asking for a simple “wrap-up video” for a three-year health programme. When they described what they needed — four locations across two provinces, interviews in three languages, before-and-after community footage, and a final cut for both a gala dinner and online distribution — it became clear that “simple” and “smartphone” were not the same thing. The planning alone took two weeks.
What it costs in South Africa
Here is a rough guide, using Astral Studios’ published rates as a benchmark:
- Basic single-camera testimonial: from around R15,000
- Mid-range production with multiple locations, motion graphics, and professional editing: R15,000 to R50,000
- Full end-of-project documentary with scripting, voiceover, drone footage, or animation: R50,000 and up
Those numbers feel significant until you divide them by every time the video gets used. A R40,000 evaluation film that plays at the gala, goes into the annual report, lives on the website, and gets emailed to six funders over two years has a very low cost per impression.
A Practical Monitoring and Evaluation Video Plan
You do not need a big budget to start. You need a plan — and you need it at the beginning of the project, not the end.
Step 1: Map your M&E milestones at project start. Note which ones lend themselves to visual documentation.
Step 2: Assign a team member to in-house milestone filming. Give them a phone, a basic brief, and a deadline.
Step 3: Set up consent documentation before filming begins. One form per person, filed with your M&E records.
Step 4: Brief a production company for your evaluation film early — ideally six to eight weeks before you need it, not two weeks before the gala.
Step 5: Build video storage into your M&E system. Clips sitting on someone’s personal phone are not accessible M&E data. Use a shared drive with a clear naming convention.
Step 6: When the project ends, review your milestone clips with your production company. Good in-the-moment footage often ends up in the final film, reducing shoot days and cost.
What Is Happening in the M&E Space Right Now
SAMEA held its 9th Biennial Conference focused on M&E for equity and just transition. The conversation in SA’s M&E community is shifting toward adaptive management — the idea that M&E should inform real-time programme decisions, not just final reports. Video fits that approach well. A short clip from the field, shared with a programme team at the halfway point, can surface problems or successes that a data spreadsheet would miss.
On the technology side, SAMEA’s Tech-Enabled MERL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning) Community of Practice is actively looking at how digital tools — including video — can make M&E more responsive. Worth watching if you are an M&E practitioner.
And for what it is worth: the DPME’s National Evaluation Policy Framework has been driving more rigorous evaluation across government departments. That creates more demand for evidence — and visual evidence, as part of a broader M&E package, is going to become harder to ignore.
FAQ — Monitoring and Evaluation
What is monitoring and evaluation?
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is the process of tracking whether a programme is running as planned and whether it is producing the results it set out to achieve. Monitoring happens continuously during implementation. Evaluation happens at set points — mid-project or at the end — to assess the overall effectiveness of the programme.
Can video replace a written M&E report?
No. Video is not a replacement for a written report. A written report provides the detailed data, financials, and analysis that funders need. Video provides the human and visual evidence that brings those numbers to life. The two work together.
What should an M&E video include?
At minimum: beneficiary testimonials with specific, concrete statements about change; footage of activities and outputs in action; and a clear narrative that connects what the programme did to what changed for participants. If you have baseline footage, include it for the before-and-after contrast.
How long should a monitoring and evaluation video be?
Milestone update clips: 60 to 90 seconds. Mid-project review films: 2 to 3 minutes. End-of-project evaluation films: 3 to 5 minutes. Longer than five minutes and you start losing your audience, including the funder watching it on a laptop between other meetings.
Do you need a professional video production company for M&E video?
Not for everything. Milestone monitoring clips work fine on a smartphone. But your end-of-project evaluation film — the one that goes to funders, plays at events, and lives on your website — needs professional production to do your programme justice.
What are the POPIA requirements for filming beneficiaries in South Africa?
You need written, informed consent from every person who appears in the video. The consent form must specify what footage is being collected, who will see it, and where it will be published. For children, parental or guardian consent is required. Verbal explanation in the person’s preferred language is good practice before asking for a signature.
Ready to Add Video to Your M&E Process?
We work with NGOs, NPOs, corporate CSI teams, and government departments across South Africa to produce evaluation films, beneficiary testimonials, and milestone documentation videos. If you are planning a new programme or wrapping up a long-term project, now is the time to talk.
Contact us to discuss what kind of video fits your M&E needs and your budget.
Glossary
B
Baseline: Data or footage collected at the start of a programme, before any activities take place. Used later to compare with end-of-project results.
C–D
CSI (Corporate Social Investment): Funding from South African companies directed at social development programmes, often through NGOs. CSI funders typically require regular milestone reporting.
DPME: Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. The South African government body responsible for overseeing M&E across all national government departments.
E–I
Evaluation: A periodic assessment of whether a programme achieved its intended outcomes and impact, and why.
Impact: The long-term change in communities or society that a programme contributes to. Distinguished from outputs (what was delivered) and outcomes (what changed for participants).
Inputs: The resources that go into a programme — funding, staff, materials, infrastructure.
M–O
M&E plan: A document that defines what will be monitored and evaluated, how data will be collected, and at what points during the programme.
Milestone report: A report submitted to a funder at a set point during programme implementation, confirming that agreed activities and outputs have been delivered.
Monitoring: Ongoing tracking of whether a programme’s activities and outputs are running as planned.
Outcomes: Changes in people’s behaviour, knowledge, or circumstances that result from programme activities and outputs. Shorter-term than impact.
Outputs: The direct, measurable products or services delivered by a programme — for example, the number of people trained or the number of clinics built.
P–T
Participatory video: A methodology where community members film their own stories of change, used as a form of participatory M&E.
POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act): South Africa’s data privacy law. Requires informed, written consent before filming or photographing individuals and using that footage.
SAMEA: South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association. The professional body for M&E practitioners in South Africa. See samea.org.za.
Theory of Change: A framework that maps how a programme’s inputs and activities are expected to lead to outputs, outcomes, and ultimately to impact. The backbone of any M&E system.
