Technical Assistance Toolkit Step 6: Developing a Feedback Loop

Conducting a survey at the end of a grant program cycle to gather feedback on the application process and TA provision is one effective way of gathering feedback. Holding listening sessions at the beginning of a grant cycle to gather input to inform program guidelines, and holding Key Informant Interviews, focus groups, and/or informal conversations with past or perspective applicants are other good ways to gather input in the beginning of a grant cycle. Holding regular meetings with grantees and implementation TA providers is a helpful way to gather feedback around ways to address unnecessary barriers and challenges in implementation. See the Outreach and Community Engagement section for more information on engagement best practices.

TA providers are another valuable source of feedback on program design, delivery, and implementation. Because the TA providers generally work more closely with program applicants and/or awardees than program staff, they have in-depth knowledge of the challenges applicants face and may have helpful recommendations about small process or policy changes that would make a big difference. TA providers also work across many applicants, which gives them a valuable perspective to provide more global feedback around common barriers and challenges.

The key to creating an effective feedback loop is to genuinely listen to feedback and do what you can to implement program improvements and address common challenges. Bringing your problem-solving skills to the table when engaging with communities on obstacles within programs can help build trust and show that you are open to modifying elements of your program in order to meet broader goals of equity and inclusion. In some cases, you may be unable to change unpopular program elements due to the statutory requirements of your program, state contracting law, or staff capacity limitations. In those cases, it is important to explain that this is the case and be clear about what program elements are non-negotiable. For more information on common barriers that grant applicants face, see the Removing Barriers section.

Creating Feedback Loops During the Grant Cycle

Opportunities to gather feedback and integrate it into your grant program design, delivery, and implementation are categorized below in chronological order of a grant’s lifecycle:

Program Development

Engage the Public

During the program planning phase, ensure that the grant timeline allows time to conduct public engagement and review and incorporate feedback from diverse organizations, agencies, and community members. Some elements to consider when gathering input to inform program design include:

• Allow a minimum of two months for public comment periods. Public comment should be received through workshops, emails, formal letters, and any other forms of communication that are most convenient to commentors.
• Programs should consider hosting listening sessions that focus on specific regions of the state if there are areas that have not historically received program funds.
• Consider creative ways to engage underserved and underrepresented communities. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently created the Equity and Access Grant Program in which eligible organizations can be compensated for their time up to a maximum of $15,000 for participating in CPUC decision-making processes and supporting activities.

Develop a Summary of Changes

Once you have collected, analyzed, and incorporated feedback, create a summary of changes document to ensure that all parties understand how the program has evolved since receiving the feedback.

An example of what a summary of changes document can look like can be found in the SGC’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Round 7 Staff Report to the Strategic Growth Council.

Build in Flexibility

While it is important to be specific about core program elements, incorporating as much flexibility as possible into your grant guidelines and technical assistance scope of work can help ensure that your program is accessible to diverse communities with varied assets and needs on the ground. This additional flexibility will make it easier to be responsive to iterative feedback throughout program implementation.

Application Process

Meet Regularly

Engage in regular check-in sessions with all relevant parties to be able to address issues as they arise:

• Hold regular check in meetings with TA providers to hear updates on TA progress and challenges or issues that are coming up for applicants. Check-ins are also a good opportunity to respond to tough questions from applicants that the TA providers were unsure how to answer.
• Maintain regular check in sessions within the program team to ensure that the program staff who are managing the technical assistance are able to regularly communicate issues that are cropping up and discuss ways to address issues throughout the application cycle.

Be Responsive to Feedback During the Application Cycle

If issues arise after the application has been launched, consider making changes to be responsive to applicant feedback, if and when it makes sense to do so. Of course, it is not advisable to make significant and repeated changes during an application cycle. However, if your agency has received consistent feedback about a specific program element constituting a barrier, program staff should take that input seriously and consider if it is possible to accommodate requests for modifications without negatively impacting the application process.

Gather Feedback After the Application Has Closed

After the application cycle closes, gather feedback from grant applicants and TA providers to inform the subsequent round of the TA program.

• Conduct an applicant survey to gather feedback on the application process and the technical assistance provided. It is best to release the survey soon after the application has closed so feedback will be fresh in applicants’ minds. Be sure to keep the survey short and send frequent reminders to ensure you receive beneficial feedback.
• Organize a debrief call with your TA providers at the end of the application cycle to gather feedback on what went well, what did not go well, and any opportunities for improvement. The conversation should include feedback on the program guidelines, application process, and TA provision.
• Include a lessons learned and recommendations report at the end of each grant application cycle in your TA scope of work to formalize a feedback process and ensure that you have a written record of feedback to incorporate into the subsequent funding round.

Grant Implementation

Check-in with Grantees

Hold regular check-ins with grantees to track progress on grant implementation and gather feedback on any elements of program implementation that may be helpful to inform program guidelines, the application process, or the grant implementation activities, such as reporting.

Host Events

When possible, host activities such as peer learning sessions and networking sessions between grantees.

Listening to grantees share their grant implementation experience during peer learning sessions can help program staff understand common successes and challenges throughout grant implementation that may help inform future program design.

Gather Feedback from TA Providers

The scope of work for implementation TA providers should include a lessons learned and recommendations report for the program staff that summarizes their insights and recommendations for the program based on their experience supporting grantees.

Evaluate Grant Implementation

Create a thorough and accessible evaluation process for grantees.

• To help grantees effectively develop an evaluation framework and collect data, consider offering evaluation technical assistance to help grantees with the reflection and reporting process. See the Evaluation section for more guidance on program evaluation.
• Track evaluation findings throughout the grant term and analyze findings to determine if there are opportunities to improve program design, delivery, and implementation.