Obtaining and Using Feedback from Participants

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Obtaining and Using Feedback from Participants
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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 its 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.

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Why do you need feedback from participants?

• Its 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 youre working with.

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Why do you need feedback from participants?
(cont.)

• It can tell you when your methods or approach
  arent working.
• It can tell you when youre treating people in
  ways that make them feel uncomfortable, angry, or
  otherwise disrespected.
• It can help you deal with whats 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.

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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.

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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).

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How do you obtain feedback from participants?

• You use one or more methods of asking for
  feedback
• Surveys.
• Individual interviews.
• Small group interviews and focus groups.
• Town meeting or whole-program format meetings.
• Journals.
• You try to increase your chances of getting good
  feedback by
• Guaranteeing anonymity.
• Explaining why you need feedback, and how youll
  use it.
• Being clear about exactly what kind of feedback
  you want.
• Sharing the results with participants.

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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.