How video could turn parables to policy

I was talking to one of my colleagues the other day about the value of short video interviews that might be used in videoblogs, or as part of a longer storytelling exercise. I had been inspired by a meeting with Stuart Maister of BroadView, who does amazing work for corporate clients using the techniques of TV journalism and more for a range of internal and external engagement processes. I think public engagement programmes would benefit from these techniques too.
Anyway, I was enthusing about the way that Stuart's highly professional formats might provide a framework for content created with participants in the sort of engagement events that we and others run. Suddenly the penny dropped for my colleague, whose speciality is evaluation. She loves reading all those data sheets generated by surveys. Call me cynical, but I suspect that too often those who commission them may just cut to the summaries or a briefing from the consultants. Residents and other stakeholders who suspect nobody really listens to them in engagement processes may just be right. (Of course there are totally wonderful engagement processes, dedicated public servants poring over the stakeholder responses etc ... but the problem is we never really know).
"Hang on", said my chum, who has hitherto resisted getting much beyond basic email, browsing and word-processing "this means it would be possible for people to talk directly to policy-makers instead of having their views filtered by consultants.
"If we included video reports in the evaluation process these could provide open, real-time feedback. If they weren't listened to everyone would know. I can see this might be a really useful way of using video, blogs and all that stuff you keep going on about".
These day e-democracy and e-innovation is all the rage in Government, so it might just get a go. Video wouldn't be enough on its own, and there would need to be balance, a range of views etc. I don't think the idea is new, and recall my friend Terry Grunwald telling me about the "From Parable to Policy" project in southern rural America. Anyone know of similar projects in the UK? It would be much more fun for participants, and I can see some public servants welcoming an escape from reports and Powerpoint.