Videotaped interviews as a medium to enhance cross-cultural programme evaluation

Evaluation is a required component of interventions. Written data are the predominant source. However, video recording is used in many applications to evaluate a range of encounters and practices. We report assessment of the role of videotaped interviews in programme evaluation. Interviews using a consistent script of open-ended questions were recorded during evaluation of an international child-health promotion programme in Uganda by individuals with basic training and equipment. Participants were a convenience sample of programme team members (six school teachers, and six Ugandan and 12 Canadian health-care trainees) who had completed the annual written evaluation questionnaire. Evaluators reviewed each participant's videotaped interview and questionnaire, content coded the responses against a criterion-based check list, documented how many times factual information was contributed on each question and compared the data. Videos were also assessed for strong positive or negative emotion. Videotaped interviews provided more comprehensive responses than written questionnaires, and were more accurate where mis-comprehension of question meaning occurred. The video interview, unlike the written questionnaire, allowed rephrasing for clarification. The video interview medium enhanced programme evaluation by providing more facts, greater insight into the effects of the interventions and clearer direction for future activity. Hence, video-recorded feedback has great potential value in applied research for comprehensive programme evaluation.