Digital Green Standard Operating Procedures
Digital Green Standard Operating Procedures
Digital Green Standard Operating Procedures
Digital Green, Flat No. T4, 4th Floor, #33, Race Course Road, Swiss Complex, Bangalore 560 001
+91 80 6583 4524 | team@digitalgreen.org | http://www.digitalgreen.org
digitalGREEN Standard Operating Procedures
CONTENTS
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ACRONYMS
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Digital Green uses information and communication technology to improve the social,
economic, and environmental sustainability of small farmer livelihoods. We aim to
raise the quality of their lives through targeted production and dissemination of
agricultural information through a cost-realistic medium of participatory video and
mediated dissemination in partnership with local, existing people-based extension
systems of civil society organizations and governments.
The system is comprised of the following components: (1) participatory process for
content production, (2) locally generated digital video database, (3) human-
mediated facilitation for dissemination and training, and (4) structured sequencing
to sustainably engage communities.
These SOPs are applicable to all personnel involved in the planning, coordination,
execution, reporting, and/or evaluation of field operations of the Digital Green
system.
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PROCESS FLOW
The following figure represents the components of the Digital Green system and the
way in which these are sequenced:
The diagram above highlights the main process of Digital Green. In the
diagram, the process is broken into three main components: 1) Initiation,
2) Production, and 3) Diffusion. Each of the three components contain
elements of the Digital Green model as following:
1) Initiation is the first and the most important stage in the Digital Green
approach. It has three distinct components: (a) Mobilization, (b)
Situational Analysis and (c) Capacity Building.
(a)Mobilization: The conceptual and operational aspects of the D igital
Green system are shared with village leaders and community groups
(agri-groups, self-help groups [henceforth referred to as SHGs], etc.) in a
new location (a cluster of villages) in focus group discussion s. The
community is encouraged to raise questions and clarify doubts. If the
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This data feeds into analytics tools and processes that are used to address
new subjects of interests, answer questions, provide field support, inform
the production of new videos, conduct additional trainings, etc. As this
process flow is followed in a regular, structured manner, the system
becomes institutionalized with partners and communities and is better
able to deliver value to all stakeholders.
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PURPOSE
Note: This meeting can be conducted as a daylong event alongside the orientation
training programme for senior members of the project implementation team.
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PURPOSE
The purpose of a situational analysis is to assess how and where the Digital Green
system can be extended based on selection surveys and a randomization process.
The partner will select a list of villages where the program is to be implemented.
Representatives from Digital Green will provide guidelines and basic parameters for
this pre-selection process. Digital Green will provide formats to categorize these
villages.
1. A meeting with the community must be convened with each group and/or
village by the partner organisation to share the conceptual and operational
aspects of the Digital Green system.
2. Partner’s local representatives working in a particular village must be part
of this meeting. It may also be useful to have a Digital Green representative
during the initial set of meetings.
3. Wherever community institutions are organized in the form of clusters or
larger groups within the village, preference is to have the meeting on a
single group level to provide adequate understanding to individual
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members of the group on what the Digital Green system is about and how
they are responsible for taking ownership of it.
4. This meeting should be scheduled at a mutually convenient date, time and
place to assure participation from all stakeholders.
5. After an introduction and description of program by the local team, the
concept of the Digital Green system should be shared with the community in
a systematic and sequential manner to ensure that the community fully
understands the Digital Green system, its relationship with existing
interventions, and the criticality of the community’s role in the system.
6. A locally produced video that describes the Digital Green system at a
conceptual level produced beforehand should be shared during the meeting
to facilitate concrete discussions.
7. An existing Digital Green video on an appropriate subject may also be
screened at the time of concept seeding. The video should be screened in a
manner similar to a regular dissemination, as per Section 5000:
Dissemination, to give the community a practical understanding of what
the system is about and their role in it.
8. The duration of the meeting should allow sufficient opportunity and time
for the community to react and respond. This may require multiple visits to
a particular village since a community may wish to discuss their interest
and commitment in taking the system forward internally. All questions
must be carefully understood and discussed to ensure that the community –
and all of its members – are fully informed about any decisions or
commitments that are made.
9. After the community has an appreciable understanding of the system, it is
necessary to assess the following:
a. Their interest in the program
b. Their willingness to participate in the program
c. Their commitment to participate in the video disseminations on a
regular basis at an accessible day, time, and place
d. Their willingness to contribute to the program monetarily. For this, a
variety of revenue models can be shared with the community. A
specific revenue model can then be chosen by the community and
may also be one of its own design. The model may also be integrated
with local community institutions as a part of a package of services.
e. Their ability to hold accountable the community service persons
responsible for regularly mediating disseminations and to establish
mechanisms to express feedback to partner staff.
f. Groups of community members should be established who decide to
regularly watch the screenings together. Preferably, these groups
should already exist in the form of SHGs, village development
committees, etc. The size of these groups should be between 20-25
members to ensure that the screenings are intimate, engaging
environments for learning and discussion. This grouping should be
based on geographic location (vicinity of hamlets, SHGs, etc.) and
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Documentation: Final sheet of list of village with all criteria mentioned in the
process above (Refer Annexure)
Based on the assessment of groups, described in Step III, villages and groups with
positive interest and commitment should be considered for further evaluation on
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other criteria as cited in Step I. Names of villages are finalized by the anchor person
of the partner.
This list should be discussed with the entire location team of a partner to ensure full
agreement about going forward with the selected villages.
The list of all villages selected by each location along with the category groupings
described above are forwarded to Digital Green’s representative for that location,
which is then sent for a random selection process by an external agency organized
into the following subsets:
Digital Green will decide control and intervention villages and its decision will be
binding on the partner organization.
The randomly selected intervention group of villages should not be changed at any
point during the project duration without the expressed written permission of
Digital Green.
Baseline surveys should capture and record details on the existing local context.
There are three baseline surveys conducted before implementation of the Digital
Green system in a particular village:
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Note: All surveys should be performed by partners. Digital Green will provide the
required format, reporting framework, and other support whenever required for the
same.
The approach of program implementation may vary from one partner organization
to another and even up to some extent from one location to another within the same
partner organization. However, a team of following composition is required for
effective and sustainable execution of program at the initial stage:
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These people are selected preferably from the pool of existing community resource
persons already working within a partner’s existing extension system and belong to
the local community (e.g., CRP etc.). They are trained for video production
depending on the nature of their involvement.
The CRPs who are selected to be involved in video activities preferably should have
the following characteristics:
Local person from community, preferably from one of the villages selected for
the Digital Green system
Good command over local language and familiarity with local context
Basic knowledge of local agriculture practices.
12 months experience of working with field partner
Class X education
Basic understanding and interest in handling electronic equipment, like
camera
Good communication skill and sociable in community, preferably with
experience in interacting with community-based institutions/groups
Availability to spare and devote required time for the program
Female members must be encouraged to take up this role.
The selected individuals will work as a team as video production requires the
support of at least two persons (i.e., a camera operator and an
interviewer/discussant). Therefore, the CRPs should be selected in groups of 2-3
people from villages in proximity to one another to minimize logistics and
coordination issues.
CSPs mediate the video screening across multiple small groups on a regular basis.
The number of such people that are required depends on the number of villages to
be operationalized at a particular location and the equipment shared between the
villages. S/he works very closely with the community and serves as a type of service
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provider to his/her community. The selection criteria for these positions preferably
should include:
Video editing requires skill in working with computers and electronic gadgets. Video
editors are selected on different criteria than those involved in video production and
video dissemination. The following criteria is preferred to be used for the selection
of these individuals:
o Person should be from local community and working with field partner team
for 12 months or so with good understanding of the local language.
o Preferably s/he should be Class XII pass
o Well versed with typing, basic computer applications like Microsoft Windows
and Word.
o Person should have some knowledge about video shooting.
o Person should be a fast learner and detail-oriented person with patience to sit
on computer for long hours.
o Person should be able to devote at least 2 hours/day for video editing work.
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Digital Green trainers introduce the components of the system to dedicated staff of
the partner organizations. There are three major types of capacity building
trainings that are conducted by Digital Green staff and then subsequently by the
partner staff:
The following points have been found important to bear in mind while conducting
training of community staff (CRPs and CSPs):
Training should be well planned. The date, time and place should be
scheduled in consultation with everybody involved as per mutual
convenience.
Building an enabling and conducive environment before getting into training
is recommended because people might hesitate to listen from strangers.
Direct entry into subject matter is not advisable. Instead, the trainer should
consider opening a training session with an ice breaker-type of activity.
Building curiosity on the skills that the trainees will be learning to improve
their engagement.
Understanding the level of absorption of trainees that is possible in a single
training session. Using the first 10 to 15 minutes to gauge the audience.
Structuring the training approach while retaining flexibility to the needs of
individual trainees within the framework of standard procedures of a given
job/task as defined in its SOPs.
Training people by starting on their own terms and where they are coming
from.
Letting the audience know what they are going to be trained on upfront and
further trying to learn their expectations after a brief orientation.
Circulating the training module schedule well in advance.
Giving space to trainees to speak their minds and interests to increase their
level of comfort.
Maintaining an optimal pace dependent on the grasping capacity for the
whole group – neither too fast for the slowest trainee nor too slow for the
fastest one
Avoiding unrelated discussions to ensure focus and minimize distractions.
Mediating arguments with trainees or among trainees and addressing them
immediately to reduce any disruption to the activities.
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Setting rules before beginning the training program. Rules could include: no
use of mobile, no speaking out of turn, no leaving the training room,
punctuality, etc.
Note: Learnings from training programs should be included while reporting on the
COCO system described in Section 7000: Reporting.
DOCUMENTATION OF TRAINING
All the partner staff responsible for their respective locations must maintain a detail
document of all the activities related to training. This documentation should
include:
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The Digital Green system involves the production of short digital videos that average
8-12 minutes in duration on locally relevant agriculture and other livelihood-related
subjects, involve local community members, and feature partner field staff and
farmers as experts. This is a specialized job and specifically identified resources
from the community are trained by Digital Green trainers for this job.
DEFINITION OF CONTENT
Content is a subject/topic/practice or technique on which a video can be made. This
is developed on the basis of farmer interests and needs and is seeded by the
knowledge base of a partner organization’s existing livelihood- and non-livelihood-
related extension program.
GOOD CONTENT IS
Relevant to the locality and season
That which meets the demand and requirement of a community
Clearly understood and has proven benefits
Simple enough that individuals can take up its knowledge within the span
of 1-2 days after viewing it
Practically possible to practice by farmers in locality
Sufficiently generic to benefit a significant local population
TYPES OF CONTENTS
Content will be finalized jointly by CRP and the local partner organization on the
basis of the community need and interest. The broad areas of the content generation
include:
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Socioeconomic relevance,
Cultural appropriateness,
Seasonality,
Agro-ecological conditions
These aspects should be discussed with the production team and subject-matter
specialists and in combination with community assessment and feedback gathering.
CRPs can have a discussion among themselves or with the thematic experts/
professionals and write a list of suitable topics through a 15-20 minutes
brainstorming session.
TIPS
Should focus on one specific behavioral change that is trying to be affected
upon (a practice that farmers can take up such as a seed germination test
or an institutional procedure that can be changed in a SHG, etc.]
Research the subject through literature and Internet-based reviews from
trusted sources
Precisely focus on only the single aspect of the subject that is to be
communicated
Relevance to the viewing audience and the context in which they live and
work is of utmost importance
WHAT IS A STORYBOARD?
In the Digital Green system, outlining of a story is called a storyboard. A storyboard
is an organized output of a well-understood and visualized process. Storyboarding
is done in order to organize and sequence a story or process, into a clear and
understandable flow. It can later be translated into any media (e.g., video) for
dissemination to the target audience. In the absence of a storyboard, the output
form of any story or process will end up being non-standardized which may lead to
confusion or wrong information. Further, without storyboarding, quality output
cannot be achieved and the entire process can be time consuming.
Good storyboard writing effectively saves time and reduces the gap in
understanding between the persons who write the script and the director, facilitator
or producer who produce the video in the field. Consequently, it is important that
the storyboard be very clearly written in a step-by-step manner according to the
storyboard format. Before writing the storyboard, some research must be conducted
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by discussing the topic with experts in the team, field staff professionals, subject
matter specialists and CRPs working in the field.
In order to be effective a story is developed with the help of questions, which will
lead to filling-in details that probably would not be possible to understand by the
process alone. Storyboard does not contain dialogues. Dialogues depend on the
location and language (local) in which the film is being shot. The featured persons
change but the process of storyboard development is standard.
It is critical to note that storyboards are not scripts. That is, storyboards should not
contain an elaborate, fabricated dialogue. Digital Green videos should be designed –
with the help of the storyboard – to authentically capture a farmer’s free-flowing
conversation while ensuring accuracy and completeness.
STORYBOARD WRITING
Storyboards are written by CRP/Field Guide/Mitan etc. with initial support from the
Digital Green professional staff and partner’s professional staff.
Prior to the production of any Digital Green video, a storyboard must be written in a
standard format that is divided into three segments: Header, Body and Trailer.
Following are the sub-division of each segment:
1. Header
a. Author
i. Name of the storyboard writer
b. Topic Name
i. Title of the story
c. Topic Type
i. Categorized as demonstration, activity expansion/introduction,
testimonials/success stories, discussions and topics related to
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The sections of the body should be defined by an outline which captures the
following aspects:
Details
o Accurate and complete topic information that should be captured
through facilitating questions and discussions
Facilitating questions
o Questions or discussions points that are to be posed by the
facilitator/interviewer to cover the topic information in detail in a
free-flowing conversation with featured participants
Estimated timings of each section when captured in the final video
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Camera focus
o Envisioning the frame and direction to shoot each scene
3. Trailer
a. Arrangements required
o Lists of materials, quantities and preparations that would be
necessary to demonstrate the process
b. People who will be required to participate in the video as featured
participants, e.g. farmer(s), his/her wife/husband, children and
facilitator.
c. Location and time where the video will be shot
d. Signature
o Subject matter specialist to certify that the process converted to
storyboard is correct and is ready to be translated into video film.
TIPS
Each of these sections must include section details, time required to cover the
section, relevant question or discussant points pertaining to the section, and
the camera focus required to cover the action, person, etc. from the correct
angle and distance.
Verify the technical correctness of the storyboard as per a documented, well-
defined thematic quality assurance process.
Digitize the storyboard upon thematic and technical approval.
Use bullet-points rather than narrative descriptions.
Assume that the storyboard writer will be different from the person involved
in video production in the field
Always use the standard storyboard format
Review the whole storyboard/process at least once after writing the first
draft
Circulate the storyboard draft to partner organization field staff and fellow
Digital Green team members for feedback and opinion gathering
Use the “Camera Focus” section of the storyboard to provide guidance and
creative direction for the camera operator, director and facilitator who will
conduct the shoot in the field.
Some aspects, especially the introduction and conclusion parts of the videos,
should be designed to be flexible, to allow for the production team to take
into account the actual situation on the ground.
REFERENCE
Storyboard Format: Annexure III
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This section outlines a standardized process for video shooting using a storyboard.
RESPONSIBILITY
Video production CRPs
CAST
Camera operator: To operate camera
Director: To ensure shots as per storyboard
Facilitator: To facilitate discussion with actor
Actors: Farmers, groups, individual person, etc.
EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
Storyboard,
Camera with memory card,
Tripod with base,
Headphone, wired microphone or cordless microphone,
Protective cover for camera and carry cases.
PREREQUISITES
1. Technically verified and thematically approved storyboard.
2. Make all the necessary arrangements, seek necessary permissions and fix-up
the schedule before visiting the site for shooting.
3. All the actors and facilitator must have subject knowledge and the story
board should be discussed well in detail among all participants including
actors/farmers.
4. Camera must be properly charged. For 10 minutes of video shooting, camera
must have battery power for at least 120 minutes.
5. In case wireless microphone is used, the batteries should have sufficient
power.
6. For SD-memory card-based video cameras, memory card should have
sufficient recording space. For a 10 minute movie, camera must indicate
memory space for at least 45 minutes of recording.
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TIPS
Reach the site on time
Greet and introduce self to the community
Give a brief background of what is going to be carried out, to the community
Be humble and polite with the community and the actors during the entire
process
After the shoot, thank the community and the actors for their support
Do not over-utilize the time of the actors
Do not be demanding to the community
Be precise and quick but at the same time be patient
Use local greetings while introducing one’s self in the shoot
Keep unwanted audience away from the site or at least ask them to keep
silence at the time of the shoot
Innovate to keep children away from the shooting site or at least ask them to
remain silent
Ask everyone to turn off their mobile phones necessarily– even if the phones
are placed in silent mode a disturbance in the audio quality might occur.
All the actors and facilitators must speak loudly and clearly
Let one actor speak at a time. Give chance to all the actors to speak. See there
is no overlapping voices-- the facilitator should not speak over the actor’s
dialogue.
Let microphone be with the actors in case they are not able to speak loudly
Let the microphone be in the centre while shooting group processes
In case there is a female actor, do not keep her silent. Give her an active role
and dialogues
While shooting a group, adhere to the quorum as capturing too many people
speaking at once can be very difficult.
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Make the best effort to perfect the process demonstration in one go, as once
there is an error in the demonstration process, redoing the demonstration
will require refill of the materials once again, which is a loss to the
farmer/actors.
Be careful where you place your equipment, feet, etc. especially when near
the farmer’s crops.
Keep equipment with you at all times and take care of them. For example, do
not leave a camera on a tripod and then walk away for some water.
It is the facilitator and camera person’s job to make the farmer feel at ease in
whatever way possible.
CAMERA PRECAUTIONS
Hold camera with strap around the hand
Do not touch the camera lens under any circumstances
Do not wipe the lens of the camera even if dust particles are observed
Do not blow on the camera lens
Clean the body of the camera with clean soft cloth (without loose fibres) for
maintenance
Use dustcover to cover the camera in between the shots
Do not expose camera to rain/water or extreme climatic conditions
To carryout shooting, make necessary connections. Connect external
microphone and headphone to the camera. Turn on the camera and the
microphones (at the correct frequency in case of cordless camera) and check
the sound output
Switch off the camera and the microphone set when not in use or while there
is a long gap for the discussion of dialogues or any other arrangements
In case of digital camera, for recording movie clips check that the camera is
set in movie position and not photo position. To change the mode, position
the mode-dial in the correct position.
TRIPOD PRECAUTIONS
Under all circumstances use a tripod for stability. Avoid handheld shooting at
all times. This might not be apparent when viewed on the camera, but once
the footage shot without a tripod is viewed on the computer, it becomes quite
clear that the shooting was done without the use of a tripod.
Open the legs of the tripod to a wide position and lock them by pushing down
the connecting support at the centre.
After extending the legs of the camera, lock the extensions so that tripod does
not topple over
Place the camera on the tripod and lock the safety latch so that the camera
sits firmly on the tripod. Gently shake the camera to check the grip.
Check the spirit level indicator (bubble) for the correct levelling of the tripod
with the ground. The bubble has to be right in the centre of the indicator of
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the spirit level. Adjust by shortening the legs of the tripod. This process has
to be repeated whenever the position of the tripod is changed.
SHOOTING PROTOCOL
Once the scene is rehearsed and characters have taken their place for the
shoot, camera operator should put on the headphone/earplugs and must
turn-on the camera and the microphone (in case of cordless microphone).
Director shouts “Silence” to maintain silence among the onlookers.
Director then shouts “Check Sound”. To this the facilitator will turn on the
microphone (at the predefined frequency in case of cordless microphone) and
will say, “Check, Check”, closer to the microphone. On hearing the sound in
the headphone, camera operator will say “Sound OK”. If there is no sound,
troubleshoot.
If the sound is okay, director will signal “Ready”. In case the actors are ready,
facilitator will respond by saying “Ready”; if not then attend to the problem
Director will then either say “Action” or “Start” (pre-decided)
Camera operator will immediately press the record button. Camera rolling
will be indicated by “Rec.” (red dot) in place of Play/Pause green icon.
Actors will delay the dialogues by two second after hearing “Action” or “Start”
If the shoot was acceptable, director will say “Ok”
If the dialogues or process is not as per the storyboard, director will say “Cut”
and the process will be repeated.
FACILITATION
Facilitation is required to ease the understanding of the process. Facilitating
questions go into the details of the process and provides points of discussion when
videos are disseminated. The facilitator also fills-in the silence while a process is
being demonstrated, thus utilizing the time and to make the process better
understandable. Facilitators also assist actors to say their dialogues at the time
when they are shy or become camera conscious and are not able to describe a
particular process. They also try to explain processes which may not be well
expressed by the actors. They direct the focus of a video by asking relevant
questions and emphasizing details of the process. The facilitators’ role includes the
following:
To prepare and rehearse the dialogues with the actor as per the storyboard
To ask questions during shooting, at the appropriate time to elaborate the
understanding of the process that is being demonstrated
To repeat important points so that it is well understood at the time of
dissemination
If the actor is not clear in speech, has difficulty in expression, or has lost
his/her train of thought, then the facilitator should aid the actor in resuming
what s/he was saying and also overall speech delivery.
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Note: Facilitator should allow the actors to speak and as much as possible aid them
in their speech. If the actor still fails to get back on track because of the
aforementioned reasons, the facilitator might take on the role of the actor in a way
as if the actor was speaking. Digital Green videos are meant to enable the community
to see an individual as a peer, who is one amongst themselves.
SPECIAL TIPS
LIGHTING
The best light for shooting is in the early morning hours or the hours right
before a sun set.
Always take a close up shot of the farmer’s face in good sun light. This will
allow recognition of the farmer by others even if the video is viewed with a
pico projector.
For shots inside vessels (such as drums), narrow openings or in holes, turn on
the front light on the camera.
SHOT BREAKDOWN
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The figure below represents the various options a camera person and the
director have in order to position their camera appropriately, and capture a
good shot. As the figure shows, there are three different shot distances
during filming. A shot distance is the space between you, the camera person,
and the subject that you are filming. When shooting the faces of individuals,
small details of objects, ingredients, etc., using a close-up shot is appropriate.
However, whenever one is trying to shoot two people talking, an action taking
place or something that needs more space between a camera person and the
subject, a medium shot (Mid-Shot) is utilized. Finally, when one wants to
capture the entire scene where this subject is placed and surroundings, a
wide shot is used to show the landscape, the farm, the home, etc.
One must be aware to change their angles and shots many times within one
shooting/movie. This will allow ease in editing and create a more attractive
movie. A film need not always be shot in a horizontally frontal angle; a three-
quarter angle usually creates a more attractive frame.
DO NOT USE THE ZOOM while recording. If you need to take a close up of
some item, record all the conversation and then pause. Move the camera or
zoom in only while in non-recording mode, then start shooting again.
AUDIO
Ensure that the batteries that power the microphone (both wired and
wireless) are properly switched on during recording and switched off when
there is no recording.
Audio should be closely monitored with earphones during recordings to
ensure that there is no disturbance.
Avoid placing microphones underneath clothing, in the direction of the wind,
or close to agricultural activities (like digging pits, carrying materials) as this
can be a cause for disturbance.
Carefully check that the fuzzy cover on the microphone is well secured before
and after each shooting as it helps eliminate high wind noise.
Note that the internal camera microphone is switched off when an external
wired or wireless microphone is connected to the video camera. Featured
participants must speak loudly and close to the microphone that is on.
POST SHOOTING
Before leaving the shooting site, it is recommended to check the clippings of
video quickly to check that every shot planned as per storyboard is properly
covered.
Ensure that all the equipment are packed and placed in respective positions.
After reaching the work place, transfer video files to system for editing so that
memory and tape capacity of camera can be utilized for further shootings.
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The Digital Green video post-production processing pipeline aims to help partner
staff to build upon existing video production skills or learn how to easily capture
input from a video camera, perform some basic editing, store the videos on their
local machine, and on another external medium for safe keeping and future use.
VIDEO EDITING
Simple interface for basic non-linear editing: trimming the beginning and end
of video segments, segmenting videos into multiple topics/files, merging
multiple segments into a single file
Flexible for additional functionality (e.g., adding video annotations, subtitling)
Maximize audio volume and reduce noise
Most external microphones provide audio on only a single channel.
TIPS
While video editing, one might be tempted to put audio clips of popular music
(e.g., Bollywood songs) at the beginning or end of a video to make a video
more attractive. This, however, should be consciously avoided. A wide
community (including on the Internet) views Digital Green videos and
without permission to use such audio tracks might lead to potential issues of
royalties and licensing. Instead, one might use other features at the beginning
and end of the video. For instance, a voice-over dubbing of text titles in the
local language would be more accessible to semi-literate audiences.
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VIDEO STORAGE
Videos stored in indexed file system (e.g., index could be the video production report
Excel file). Ease of use for transferring/mirroring videos to multiple computers with
minimal installation requirements
DVD BURNING
Customize DVD menu template (e.g., background and Digital Green and
partner organization’s logo)
Select videos that are stored on the local machine (e.g., by specifying the
filenames) as DVD chapters
Editors can name these chapters using local-language fonts (e.g., Kannada,
Hindi)
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digitalGREEN Standard Operating Procedures
Thematic correctness of the video as a whole and its alignment with the
original storyboard.
Process appearing in video is demonstrating the correct technique/method.
Narration/dialogue/answers are technically correct and clear.
Materials used and their quantities shown and spoken are correct.
Applicability, uses and advantages of technique/process is explained
correctly.
IMPORTANT NOTES
Both of these approvals should be made in writing along with signatures from the
responsible authorities and be kept on file.
Only upon receiving both approvals, as described above, can the video be released
for screening.
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digitalGREEN Standard Operating Procedures
DISSEMINATION MODEL
Video dissemination mediators (CSPs) are selected to showcase videos in an
interactive learning format using a shared TV and DVD player or pico
projector unit in their communities. The process of selecting video CSPs is
described in Section 2000, Step II.
During on-demand screenings, CSPs pause, rewind, and forward the videos to
ensure that the audience grasps the content and remains interested.
A CSP’s performance should be assessed based on the agreements made in
the business model with the community. Certain parameters may include:
the number meetings that a CSP conducts, the attendance of farmers, the
interests and questions that the audience expresses, and the adoption of
practices in farmers’ fields.
CSPs are supported and monitored by the existing extension system of the
partner.
Weekly/monthly meeting/training sessions are used to review progress and
feedback from the prior week as well as “teacher training” exercises are
provided to build the capacities of CSPs. The impact of the Digital Green
system is monitored and evaluated in part by maintaining a farmers’
database. This information is inputted by the partner staff into an online and
offline system developed by Digital Green system engineers called COCO
(Connect Online – Connect Offline). Refer to Section 7000 Reporting for a
reference to the COCO manual. Using COCO, the entered information can be
organized, analyzed and presented through graphs and charts on Digital
Green’s Analytics dashboards. Partners can watch and monitor dissemination
related information on: the progress of farmers over the course of time as
they participate in video screenings, express interests or questions, and adopt
practices or technologies in their fields.
Deployment of dissemination set in village
Video disseminations require some hardware assets, which are placed in the village
under custody and control of the community.
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digitalGREEN Standard Operating Procedures
Clear understanding on the date on which the disseminations will begin in the
community
Appreciation of dissemination activities by the community with a
documented, well-defined commitment and ownership for conducting
disseminations on a regular, sustained basis
Responsibility of safe custody, maintenance, upkeep, and housing of
equipment
Number of screenings per week which each group has committed to attend
The content/subject chosen on the basis of seasonality and demand from
community
Subject(s) that field partner want to promote
Existing extension program of partner organization in the region
CONDUCTING SCREENING
PRE-REQUISITES
CSP must review the video for his/her-self prior to showing it in village and
understand the topic completely.
Place and time of dissemination is finalized by community and CSP.
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digitalGREEN Standard Operating Procedures
SCREENING PROCESS
Screenings conducted in intimate groups of 20 - 25 members.
CSP makes the necessary arrangements and connections, checks the TV/DVD
or pico projector and ensures an appropriate audio level prior to the arrival
of the group
CSP takes the attendance of members
CSP announces dos and don’ts: e.g., switching off mobiles, maintaining silence
during shows, asks small children to either leave or not make noise, to watch
attentively, etc.
Audience members are encouraged to ask questions at the end of the film and
avoid questions and discussions during the film.
CSP gives brief introduction on the subject of video and explains how it is
applicable to the group members/village’s context
CSP puts the TV/projector on and starts the screening
S/he makes sure that audio/visuals are correctly adjusted and all the
members can watch and listen to the video and audio properly
At appropriate intervals when the process explanation and clarifications are
required, CSP must "pause" the video and explain the materials used, quantity
and process steps or highlight the important points.
CSP is required to bring value to the information. Simply narrating what is
shown will not motivate the audience!
CSP must ask questions and encourage members to ask questions to make the
event participatory and interactive. CSP should ask members to
repeat/explain the process and details like quantities of ingredients used etc.
to check if they have correctly understood the details and remember them.
Members may also ask questions related to the subject shown in video. CSPs
make their best effort to provide answers to all the questions asked by
members. S/he must provide only correct answers, in case s/he does not have
answer or s/he is not confident about the answer, s/he must not provide a
wrong/incorrect answer. Instead, s/he should note down such questions and
seek a trustworthy answer from a CRP/Field professional/Subject matter
specialist to provide the answer to members during a subsequent screening.
If required, CSP may screen the video once again without pause/break and
reconfirm the understanding of the process/video to the group.
Further, CSP will ask some of the following questions to members:
o Did you enjoy the video?
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digitalGREEN Standard Operating Procedures
TIPS
Videos should NOT be shown in a passive manner – where the videos are just
being played without any interaction. Dissemination screening should be
participatory and interactive where the CSP is actively involved in assessing
participant engagement and posing questions to maintain a high-degree of
involvement by the group.
CSP should have prior knowledge of the subject and should view the video
prior to the dissemination of the subject matter
Remote of DVD player/TV/Projector should be handled carefully without
much fidgeting and disturbance to the dissemination environment. CSPs
should practice these functions in advance.
CSP should record the names of farmers, asked questions, interest etc. during
the discussion or immediately thereafter, to avoid errors.
CSP should keep a torch handy because screenings usually take place in the
evening post sunset and power cuts in villages are fairly common. The torch
may be required during handling of equipment, while recording data, etc.
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digitalGREEN Standard Operating Procedures
Increasing the adoption of best farming practices that sustainably improve the
livelihoods of farmers is a key objective of any agriculture extension program. It is
important that the operations team keep full attention on all supporting activities to
ensure high degree of adoption by community members/beneficiaries.
Each video produced under Digital Green program will have a minimum of one
specific adoptable technique/practice/process/message, which should be clearly
identified and mentioned on each document/record of video like storyboard, list of
video, DVD etc., wherever the video title is mentioned. A video should ideally trigger
the adoption of specifically identified practice/process/technique. During the
follow-up and recording of adoption, field staff will look for the specific adoptable
element of a video.
CSP will note down the names of group members, who explicitly express
interest to adopt the technique/practices shown in the video, at the end of
each screening.
S/he will discuss with the member to know when they want to practice the
technique in their field and if they need any help in practicing the process for
the first time. CSP will visit the member on the scheduled day/time to help
the member take up the practice in case s/he needs the CSP’s help.
CSP will also visit the members who showed inclination for adoption at the
screening, to encourage and support them to actually adopt the
technique/practice
This information should also reach the sub-location head for further action, if
required.
Recording adoption:
After the screening CSP will ask if members have adopted the practice
S/he will note down the names of members who have informed about an
adoption
S/he will also note the practice that has been adopted.
S/he will visit each of the adoption sites during daytime and check whether
the members have actually adopted the process/technique and whether they
have followed the process correctly.
S/he will provide guidance for further steps and corrections to the members,
if required.
S/he will record the adoptions with name, date and scale of adopted
process/practice (size of land, quantity, volume, etc.)
Random sampling should also be done by partner professionals and Digital
Green staff to validate.
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digitalGREEN Standard Operating Procedures
1. ONLINE REPORTING
DESCRIPTION:
The COCO (Connect Online, Connect Offline) reporting system facilitates the
exchange of data from across field locations and helps in analysing data trends.
RESPONSIBILITY
Partner Field Staff.
REQUIREMENTS
Filled paper formats from CRP/CSPs on video production and dissemination,
Computer/Laptop, Data card
PRECAUTIONS
Make sure you log out of COCO, once the information has been filled in and saved.
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