What do we mean by feedback from participants? ___Feedback from participants consists of reactions to, opinions about, and/or information on what you do from those to whom it’s offered or who benefit from it Feedback may be: ___Positive, negative, or neutral ___Objective or subjective ___Enhanced by knowledge of community history, personalities and relationships, culture, etc. ___Limited by lack of knowledge, information, or understanding ___Solicited or unsolicited ___Direct or indirect Why do you need feedback from participants? ___It’s part of being customer-centered ___It gives you tools to improve your program ___It allows you to respond to changes in the community, the population, or the situation ___It can give you information about the history of the community, the history of your issue in the community, or the history of your population ___It can inform you about personalities and relationships in the community and/or the population you’re working with ___It can tell you when your methods or approach aren’t working ___It can tell you when you’re treating people in ways that make them feel uncomfortable, angry, or otherwise disrespected ___It can help you deal with what’s important to participants, even though that may not be your major goal ___It can assure that your objectives make as much sense for participants as they do for you Who are participants that can offer feedback? ___Adults and teens with no intellectual, psychological, or social barriers ___People with mental illness ___Children ___At-risk or troubled youth ___Developmentally delayed or retarded teens and adults ___Speakers of other than the majority language ___People who have left the program When might you ask for feedback from participants? ___Before you begin an effort (Plan) ___As you develop a program, initiative, or intervention (Do) ___Before you implement your plan (Check) ___While the work progresses and in evaluating it (Act) ___In making adjustments and starting the cycle again (Analyze) What are some methods for obtaining feedback from participants? ___Surveys ___Individual interviews ___Small group interviews and focus groups ___Town meeting or whole-program format meetings ___Journals How can you increase your chances of getting good feedback? ___Guaranteeing anonymity ___Explaining why you need feedback, and how you’ll use it ___Being clear about exactly what kind of feedback you want ___Sharing the results with participants How do you use feedback from participants? ___Use it to understand the needs of the community ___Use it to respond to changes in the situation of participants, the community, the political climate, etc. ___Use it to improve your program by responding to the need for change in attitudes, methods, content, etc. ___Use it to create or strengthen an organizational culture that encourages and welcomes feedback, and uses it well
