The engagement process is not completed until feedback is provided to participants, either by providing feedback to those who directly participated in the engagement or the entire community.
Providing feedback on how the engagement activity influenced the ultimate decisions is an important way to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and may include:
- Thanking participants for their important contributions
- Sharing information on the process of the engagement
- Sharing information on the decision reached, including when and by whom
- Sharing information on how participant views were considered and how they influenced the ultimate decision
- If appropriate, providing an opportunity for comments or suggestions on the engagement experience
Depending on the nature of the engagement, the feedback loop might occur over successive sessions.
Resources
Consider thinking of feedback as a loop, whenever feedback is gathered there is an opportunity to share back how the feedback was used in decision making. This diagram provides a visual depiction of the feedback loop.
This feedback loop template can be used to summarize and communicate the engagement process. It can be shared verbally at small sessions with the original stakeholders, or at larger sessions such as MSA meetings, forums, or townhalls. It can also be shared by e-mail or newsletter, as appropriate.