Type of Review: Project Completion Review
Project Title:
Date started:
2013
Developing Stories Media Scheme (WorldView)
01 April 2010
Date review undertaken: November
Instructions to help complete this template:
Before commencing the review you should have to hand:
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the Business Case or earlier project documentation.
the Logframe
the detailed guidance (How to Note) - Reviewing and Scoring Projects,
the most recent annual review and other related monitoring reports.
key data from ARIES, including the risk rating
the separate project scoring calculation sheet (pending access to ARIES)
Two scores are produced at project completion - one based on achievement of the outputs and
one based on achievement of the outcome. You should assess and rate both the individual
outputs and the overall outcome using the following rating scale and description:
Output Description
Outputs substantially exceeded expectation
Outputs moderately exceeded expectation
Outputs met expectation
Outputs moderately did not meet expectation
Outputs substantially did not meet expectation
Scale
A++
A+
A
B
C
Outcome Description
Outcome substantially exceeded expectation
Outcome moderately exceeded expectation
Outcome met expectation
Outcome moderately did not meet expectation
Outcome substantially did not meet
expectation
Introduction and Context
What support did the UK provide?
DFID provided £2,240,892 to the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) for the WorldView
project. The project ran for three and a half years, from 01 April 2010 to 30 September 2013. The
project was designed to address the lack of media industry ‘start up’ funding for producers developing
programme content about development-related issues.
The CBA managed 3 streams of competitive funding.
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The Programme Development Fund (PDF) enabled producers to develop a specific idea,
covering the costs of research, development, pilot filming, access and procurement of Rights.
The Multi Media Fund (MMF) provided bursaries enabling content producers to spend up to 3
months in a developing country researching stories and developing multiple programme and
multi-media content.
The New Genres Fund (NGF) enabled media producers to develop non-factual and/or
innovative new and multi-media content.
What were the expected results?
The intended outcome was increased quantity, diversity and impact of broadcast and online
development-related media content.
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Through support and ‘seed funding’, filmmakers and production companies are able to develop ideas
and content to secure commissions for the production of programmes and multi-media content about
development issues for future broadcast and publication. Successfully commissioned development
related programmes generate further media interest in the subject and thereby raise the overall level of
media content devoted to development issues, and ultimately greater levels of development awareness
among the general public.
The outputs were :
 An increase in the numbers of media producers supported to develop ideas, and receiving
commissions for development content.
 An increase in the quality of development-related content published and broadcast.
 An increase in the diversity of genres, and platforms that are broadcasting or publishing
development- related content.
What was the context in which UK support was provided?
The project was an element of DFID’s Building Support for Development Strategy that has now ended.
The support was provided to address market failures in the funding available for media producers to
research programme ideas and develop taster content for development focused programming.
The media industry had limited funds for programme development for any international genres, and as
such external funding was seen as the best way to catalyse creation of fresh development-related
content for commissioning editors. International co-production financing is also enabled by initial UK
development funding of projects.
The intended impact was that greater quality and quantity of development related programming would
raise public understanding of, and engagement with, development issues.
Section A: Detailed Output Scoring
Output 1: An increase in the number of media producers developing ideas and receiving
commissions for development related content
Output 1: final score and performance description: A++ Output substantially exceeded expectation
Final results:
Indicator 1. Number of applications to the scheme Apr 2010-Sept 2013 [Target 890]
Actual achieved: 6,574
Progress against expected results:
The total number of applications to the scheme over the 3 ½ year period has substantially exceeded
the target. No funds have been spent on marketing or promotion of the scheme. The number of
applications is evidence of the excellent industry reputation of the scheme for providing funding and
support to producers of development content. The reputation of the project has been built over a
number of years with the first phase of the project established in 2001.
The rise in the number of applications reflects the hard work of the WorldView project team to raise the
profile of WorldView and to re-establish confidence with producers and broadcasters following the
suspension of grant activities in 2011 during the DFID Development Awareness Review period. There
was a specific concentration on an improved and increased web presence in 2011/2012
(http://worldview.cba.org.uk/ and http://www.yourworldview.org.uk/ ). As a result applications following
the Review have exceeded those made to the scheme prior to the Review (there were 550 in 2010).
As agreed following last year’s annual review, there has been an increased focus on younger
producers via the “Your WorldView” project
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Indicator 2. Number of funded applications Apr 2010-Sept 2013 (Target 122)
Actual Achieved: 203 projects funded (Worldview has submitted a full list of the projects funded).
Progress against expected results:
Grants were awarded up to a maximum of £10,000 under both the PDF & MMF (NGF grants were
awarded up to a Maximum of £20,000); In practice many grants awarded were well below these
ceilings, enabling the pool of funding available to be spread amongst a larger number of grantees.
Following editorial selection, grant levels were determined after a budget analysis of each individual
project. Funds were then awarded up to a maximum of 80% of the individual project development
budget.
Worldview has responded to the trend towards ‘fragmentation’ of production due to the increasing
number of channels available for broadcast in a digital environment i.e. more channels are willing to
commission programming content but for a lower development/production budget. Therefore fewer
productions were eligible for, or required, the full £10,000 enabling more grants to be awarded.
Impact Weighting (%): 40%
Revised since last Annual Review? No
Risk: Low
Revised since last Annual Review? No
Output 2: An increase in the quantity and quality of development-awareness raising content
published and broadcast
Output 2: final score and performance description: A++ Output substantially exceeded expectation
Indicator 1: Number of projects that move to broadcast/commission [target 92 ]
Final results: 127
The target total for number of UK broadcasts/commissions across the 3 ½ year project was exceeded
as a total of 127 projects have been either broadcast or commissioned (this means they have raised
finance and are in production prior to broadcast). The reasons for exceeding the original target were: i)
to ensure best value not everyone received the maximum grant and therefore some grants were split
between two projects thereby increasing the likelihood of broadcast/commission and ii) the schemes
strong industry reputation meant that broadcasters/publishers continued to work with the project and to
commission programmes that WorldView funded.
Programmes usually take from 3-5 years between development and broadcast. It is therefore likely that
more of the programmes awarded during the 3 ½ years for the project will be broadcast in due course.
Indicator 2: Number of projects with strong development process content funded [target 57]
Number of projects with partial development process content funded [target 65]
Final results: 149 and 54
The final number of projects funded with strong development process content was 149 and the total
number of projects funded with partial development process content was 54 exceeding respective
targets substantially. The strong reputation of the scheme to seed fund and support high quality
projects has encouraged broadcasters to commission/broadcast projects awarded under the scheme,
even if they would not necessarily commission ‘development’ labelled (focused) content. This is a good
indicator that there is an increasing appetite from broadcasters/commissioners and audiences for
development/international content.
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Audience figures are calculated using standard industry measurement tools, and where possible
audience figures for films produced are obtained directly from the broadcaster or the producer, based
on data from the British Audience Research Board (BARB). It is not possible for WorldView to obtain
direct audience data from BARB as the cost is prohibitive (the tool is used for commercial purposes by
broadcasters and advertisers and therefore has a very high commercial value).
Using available data, including ‘standard audience for the slot’ measurements, WorldView have
calculated that in excess of 6,368,000 people watched development content focused programmes
supported by WorldView in the period April 2010-September 2013. Research by WorldView, UEA and
the International Broadcasting Trust (IBT) has noted the difficulty of measuring the exact impact of
development awareness created by watching TV programmes, nonetheless other independent
research has made the case that there is a real, positive impact (The World on the Box, Dover and
Barnett 2004, Bringing the World to the UK, Seymour and Barnett 2006,Screening the World Scott
2008, Reflecting the Real World, Smith, Edge and Morris 2006, Reflecting the Real World2 2007,
Padania, Coleman and Georgiou, The World in Focus, Scott, 2007).
One specific and striking example of impact is the following the following Tweet by PM David Cameron,
following viewing of the WorldView funded documentary ‘No Fire Zone’.
https://twitter.com/Number10gov/status/399236573575016448
The PM also referenced No Fire Zone in his announcement of an additional £2.1 million for demining
work in locations covered by the programme.
Independent funding for international/development documentaries increasingly focuses on impact.
Researchers (e.g. Gates Foundation) are currently working on a toolkit for measuring documentary
impact. WorldView funded projects have also made an impact beyond broadcast, with two of the
projects receiving Oscar nominations; Enemies of the People in 2011 & 5 Broken Cameras in 2013.
Films funded through the project have also won Emmies, RTS and BAFTA awards
Impact Weighting (%): 40%
Revised since last Annual Review? No
Risk: Low
Revised since last Annual Review? No
Output 3: An increase in the diversity of genres, channels and platforms broadcasting or
publishing development-related content
Output 3: final score and performance description:
A - Output met expectation
Final results:
Indicator 1. 18:185 proportion of grantees producing non-factual content
Indicator 2. 100% proportion of grantees maintaining cross- platform content
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All WorldView projects maintain cross-platform content.
In a digitalised media landscape it is usually no longer possible for a TV programme to reach a
substantial audience in a single broadcast due to audience fragmentation (more channels and media,
and more choice). Therefore, all WorldView grantees are required to develop their projects to produce
cross-platform content for at least two of the following media: TV and ‘On Demand TV services, Web,
Radio and print material plus cinematic and DVD release. This enables the content developed with
WorldView funding to reach larger audiences in the UK and beyond. WorldView specifically
encourages innovative approaches to multi- platform productions, such as Awra Ambra, a community
project set in Ethiopia http://www.awraamba.com/ , and Alma: a Tale of Violence http://alma.arte.tv/en/
which has a unique ‘app’ and new media distribution model.
WorldView funds a limited amount (11% in 2012) of non-factual development content, as audience
research indicates that some sectors of the UK audience are best reached with non-factual
programming. For example on April 13th 2013 the storyline of Casualty (BBC 1 Saturday peak viewing
slot) was developed as part of a WorldView project in 2011 in Ghana. The episode featured issues
around FGM in West Africa and the programme had a BARB-authenticated audience of 4.63 million.
DFID has approved reallocation of some resources originally earmarked for the ‘non-factual’ NGF to
support the “Your Worldview” project ( http://www.yourworldview.org.uk/ ) which is more development
focused and in line with Worldview’s remit and longer term strategy. The aim of YWV is to encourage
new and emerging film makers, especially those based in the developing world, to upload their short
films to the platform, which are then viewed by broadcasters in the UK and worldwide. Broadcasters
then select short films and identify talent to invest in for longer productions. Worldview currently have a
global call out for the Food Season and are advanced in plans for a ‘Homes’ call out in partnership with
UNICEF. Broadcasters are responding well to the concept and Worldview have already had requests
from two UK and numerous international [US, India, Namibia] broadcasters wishing to broadcast
content from the platform.
Impact Weighting (%): 20 %
Revised since last Annual Review? No
Risk: Low
Revised since last Annual Review? No
Section B: Results and Value for Money.
1. Achievement and Results
1.1 Has the logframe been changed since the last review? Y/N
No
1.2 Final Output score and description:
A++. Overall the project has substantially exceeded expectations, but with the significant caveats that
the indicators measuring the total numbers of grants awarded are crude measures of the effectiveness
of the project, and that, with sufficient fundable applications, these targets were easily exceeded. Most
impressive is the evidence of the growth in demand for the scheme from programme makers, and the
percentage of seed-funded films successfully moving to commission and broadcast (46% - which
compares with an industry average of 5-10%).
1.3 Direct feedback from beneficiaries
The project was not specifically designed to measure any direct impacton the lives of beneficiaries in
developing countries. Its primary aim was to improve and increase UK development content and
impact development awareness in the UK. However, many –recipients of grants were based in
developing countries. WorldView has always sought to support ‘authentic voices’, i.e. locally produced
media content, as an effective and ethical way of reflecting development stories to UK audiences. As
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production standards have improved globally, UK broadcasters have become increasingly willing to
commission development content from the developing world. This has proved successful with
audiences, and is cost effective and more environmentally friendly, given the reduced need for air
travel. Some examples of feedback from grant awardees follow:
Testimonial – Miners Shot Down
“Worldview has been so easy to work with, they understand the film, the process and the conditions
that filmmakers have to face in countries like my own. When you’re working in isolation month after
month, sometimes year after year, every little bit of support real matters. The documentary world is
tough, and organizations like WorldView make the load of documentary filmmaking a little lighter.”
Rehad Desai
Testimonial – Through The Fire
“The involvement of WorldView in this project has been critical to bringing it to fruition. The funding
provided also enabled us to research and develop a number of stories later released through the
media. Without this support, the project would simply never have happened.” Sarah Winfield, producer
Testimonials - Unearthed
“Winning the WorldView award goes far beyond a financial contribution. After 18 gruelling months of
research, filming across South Africa, North America and the UK and participating in the polarised
fracking debate, the award recognises the international significance in Unearthed’s investigation. This
acknowledgement, knowing that people out there, from all corners of the globe, who are desperately
seeking information on shale gas extraction and supporting our commitment to getting to the bottom of
the contentious topic, is the biggest boost.” Jolynn Minnaar, director
“[The funding] is a wonderful endorsement and we are grateful for the timely support. With more and
more countries considering fracking, Unearthed has gained considerable international interest as a
project which is set to advance the debate with new information. WorldView, having identified this in
Unearthed, will help us reach the many audiences across the world requesting to see the film.” Dylan
Voogt, producer
Testimonial – Dirty White Gold
“The WorldView money enabled us to leverage much more money for our film. It was part of a match
funding package which helped take us from development to the first stage of production. No-one else
could provide this sort of finance. A unique part of the documentary funding ecology. Many thanks.”
Christopher Hird, Executive Producer
Testimonial – Red Wedding
“The IDFA WorldView award comes just before the official release of the film, so it’s very encouraging
for filmmakers who have worked on their film for a long period as we did. Thanks to this award we are
confident and really excited to release the film and to show it to the audience” Guillaume Suon and
Lida Chan, directors
Testimonial – This is Congo
“WorldView provided us with the necessary funding for further development and allowed us the ability
to keep the project moving forward at a critical time. We can’t thank them enough for their continued
support!” Geoff McLean, producer
Testimonial – Viramundo Connecting South
By funding the editing of a rough cut version of the English version of Viramundo in order to present it
to BBC4, WorldView has helped us a lot to get a first feedback from one of the very important TV
channels for this film Emmanuel Getaz, producer
Chithra Jeyram, Indian filmmaker, Your WorldView pitch grantee:
"Everyone knows that student filmmakers dream of their films getting accepted to festivals and winning
awards. But what most of us student filmmakers secretly want is for new opportunities to stem out of
this recognition. The grant and mentorship provided exactly that opportunity. Thank you for making
Rags to Pads possible."
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Myron Williams, Pacific filmmaker, Your WorldView grantee:
‘I believe that with this win - storytellers' voices/perspectives from the pacific will be able to be heard
(and viewed) on the international platform. It is only fair that Pacific peoples' be given the chance to tell
their stories from within their context and cultural landscape. The win means alot to me - but
personally, I feel it will mean a whole lot more to those people, men, women and children from every
corner of Fiji and the Pacific who will be able to have their own unique stories told to the rest of the
world.’
Katie Arnold, UK Filmmaker, United Nations Association and Your WorldView pitch winner:
‘Winning [the pitch] has given me not just the resources to visit the West Bank and shoot my first film,
but more importantly the confidence to continue pursing documentary filmmaking as a career.’
Akoijam Sunita, Indian filmmaker and Your WorldView grantee:
‘We can all dream but not every dream gets realised. When I shared the idea of ‘a right to dream’ at an
event held in New Delhi by CBA, I shared my dream. It was the continued support from Your
WorldView that made this dream come true. As an unknown, new filmmaker the chances of me getting
any assistance, whether financial or the faith in my ability to make a film, was non-existent. When Your
WorldView expressed faith in my idea and went ahead to provide financial support, there was no
looking back. The financial support given by Your WorldView made it possible for me to build a small
team and get the work rolling to make this dream a reality. I had anyway thought that I will someday
make this film but that would have taken long and might even get buried in the necessity to do work
that pays off bills, at the least. The development fund from Your WorldView made it possible to do an
elaborate pre-production research that was the foundation of the film. It is amazing how in a far away
corner of this world, Your WorldView gave me the support that was needed to make a film that will
bring voices and experiences from India accessible to a global audience and enable an understanding
that was never seen before. Such endeavor should continue and more and more international
filmmakers, especially from disadvantaged regions, should be supported to bring more voices, more
experiences within global access. This is the best way to connect the global audience to the global
realities.
Pete Williams, producer of the African Mobile Project ‘Indie Cities’:
‘The grant from CBA - Your WorldView - has enabled us to create four new short documentaries as
part of our Indie Cities series. The series celebrates Independent young craftspeople that have found
success in the wake of the economic crisis and they cities they live and thrive in. Thank you so much
for your support and encouragement- it has been invaluable to the project’
Rob Lemkin, Oscar-nominated director and Your WorldView Mentor:
'It’s very hard indeed for filmmakers to find their own voice in today’s streamlined industry environment.
So it’s important to provide crucial and nurturing support for that difficult but exciting journey.
Noe Mendelle, from The Scottish Documentary Institute, Your WorldView pitching partner:
‘We at Scottish Documentary Institute are delighted that our winning pitcher is a voice from Africa. We
look forward to the mentorship phase and be part of the transformative process of an idea into a
beautiful, moving short film. There is no doubt that the filmmaker's ambition for the film will hugely
increase by feeling part of an international commission and network’
Jezza Neumann: Award-winning director and Your WorldView Mentor
“It's difficult for emerging filmmakers to approach industry professionals. What is needed is a way to
bridge the gap, ways to offer support, advice and critical feedback so that ideas don't have to stop at
just that; they can be developed and guided to become a reality.”
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1.4 Overall Outcome score and description:
A+. The project delivered its objectives. Worldview has a strong reputation in the media sector and
demand for its services is high. Worldview has played an important (albeit difficult to quantify – see
1.5) role in the development of high quality media content about the developing world.
1.5 Impact and Sustainability
The independent final review of the project noted that 46%of projects supported in the current phase
had already resulted in some form of UK commission or broadcast commission and broadcast, at an
average cost of around £6,000 per project, and noted that this ratio of success was significantly higher
than for a typical project being developed for UK broadcast. However the review also noted the
difficulties of tracking impact –because many projects may result in a commission outside the funding
period, because audience figures are both expensive to acquire and a poor gauge of “impact”, and
because it is difficult to isolate the precise difference Worldview seed funding has made to the eventual
success of a project. The true impact of WorldView and its ‘ripple effect’ on the UK broadcast industry
may only become apparent if further funding cannot be sourced and the programme comes to an end.
It is the intention of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) to continue to run WorldView
and the sister project Your WorldView for as long as possible. The CBA is currently undergoing a
process of reform to build on its position as the largest global association of public service
broadcasters, by extending its focus to public service broadcasters outside the Commonwealth. CBA
maintains that in a globalised world, strong international/development content provides essential
context to news and current affairs and should, therefore, be a central pillar of public service
broadcasting globally. However, funding international content has become increasingly difficult for all
broadcasters during an economic recession. International co-productions and sharing development
and production costs between broadcasters based in different countries is seen as a viable way
forward. CBA’s future strategy is elaborated in their publication ‘New WorldView’ (2013).
http://www.cba.org.uk/wp-content/2011/09/New-World-View.pdf
In recent months CBA has been in dialogue with a range of private investors, foundations, trusts and
funding organisations globally in order to ensure future funding for WorldView/Your WorldView. The
CBA has recently secured £20,000 for continued operating from the Bertha Foundation. One member
of WorldView staff has taken redundancy and other members of staff are currently contracted until the
end of December.
The current funding climate for media projects is difficult globally because media is seen as a ‘nice to
have’ rather than a ‘need to have’ during an economic recession. The funding that is available tends to
favour new/digital/social media projects (even though broadcasting still has the greatest audience
reach internationally, and due to digital transition there is an increasing demand for content and
programme material).
2. Costs and timescale
2.1 Was the project completed within budget / expected costs: Y/N
Yes
2.2 Key cost drivers
The primary drivers have been strong demand for each of the 3 funding windows available.
Although the ceiling of grant funding available did not change over the life of the project, fewer
grantees that expected were awarded the maximum £10,000 award, thus enabling the grant funding
available to be divided amongst a greater number of awardees.
Administration of Worldview has been labour intensive, requiring full time staff to process applications
and provide logistical and promotions support to programme developers before, during and after their
programme development work in country.
2.3 Was the project completed within the expected timescale: Y/N
Yes
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3. Evidence and Evaluation
3.1 Assess any changes in evidence and what this meant for the project.
The continued growth in online and mobile media over the life of the project prompted Worldview to
develop the Your WorldView component of the programme, described under output 3.
3.2 Set out what plans are in place for an evaluation.
The mid-term evaluation (“Reviewing the World”) was completed and submitted to DFID in June 2012.
CBA commissioned an external end of project review from the University of East Anglia media and
development academic Martin Scott.
4. Risk
4.1 Risk Rating (overall project risk): Low
Did the Risk Rating change over the life of the project? Y/N
No
4.2 Risk funds not used for purposes intended
Low. WorldView provide quarterly financial reporting to DFID. Financial claims are checked to ensure
that actual expenditure is in-line with agreed project activities.
Funds received from DFID are recorded in the CBA’s Annual Audited Financial Statement and
presented to DFID.
An independent audit letter setting out how funds have been spent was also submitted annually.
4.3 Climate and Environment Impact
The project was not assessed at approval for its environmental impact. However the way WorldView
operates is changing in ways that are expected to lead to reductions in its carbon footprint. For
example the development of the Your WorldView platform is significant in sourcing global content and
programming from the developing world with minimal environmental impact.
New and emerging filmmakers in the developing world are offered ‘skype mentoring’ by established
WorldView consultants and directors. This allows direct input to film makers and their films with no
environmental impact from travel.
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5. Value for Money
5.1 Performance on VfM measures
Since April 2010 the project has resulted in an estimated total of £31,000,000 production being seed
funded i.e. every £1 of project expenditure has generated £13.83 pounds of production funding. This is
calculated via an analysis of project ‘production budgets’ and established tariffs for commissions.
Taking a longer view, the first phase of the project was set up in October 2001 and £15,991,500
production was leveraged for £2,042,994 of DFID grants awarded in the 9 years to Dec 2010.
Therefore, over the 12 years of DFID support to The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association £14.50
of production (mainly in the UK) has been leveraged for every £1 invested by DFID.
5.2 Commercial Improvement and Value for Money
The CBA has established and robust procurement and recruitment systems in place, and a strong
incentive to keep their operating costs down as they graduate from DFID support.
5.3 Role of project partners
The CBA implemented the WorldView project and manages grant activities providing quarterly reports
against an agreed logframe using a standard reporting format set by DFID.
The CBA is the largest global association of Public Service Broadcasters and as such provides a
unique network of broadcast professionals globally that are able to provide support to WorldView
projects. The CBA has continued to use its position in a positive way to influence key media players to
support the coverage of development related programming and content.
5.4 Did the project represent Value for Money : Y/N
Yes, on the terms upon which the project was agreed in April 2010. However, the difficulty of
measuring a link between the project outputs and poverty reduction overseas means that the project
may not have been considered an effective use of the aid budget if submitted for approval in 2013.
6. Conditionality
6.1 Update on specific conditions
n/a
7. Conclusions
The Project has been successful and well managed. However, a decision not to renew DFID support
beyond the current phase has been taken because, following the independent review of development
awareness work in 2011, the project does not fit with current DFID funding priorities. Nonetheless it
remains in the interests of DFID and the wider development community for WorldView and other media
organisations to continue to bring stories from the developing world to public attention. In the final year
of the project CBA/ WorldView was given flexibility to adapt its operating model, both to take account of
the changing media landscape, and to position itself as an organisation that can be sustainable by
attracting international interest and funding.
8. Review Process
DFID Staff assessment of project progress reports and an independent final report by Dr Martin Scott
(University of East Anglia).
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