Turning Reflections, Observations, and Stakeholder Feedback into Improvements
This page outlines a collaborative process to refine our annual program plan based on system feedback. It ensures that our planning stays grounded in the lived realities of fellows, children, parents, and team members.
Purpose
To identify the most meaningful patterns in stakeholder feedback and team observations, and translate them into actionable inputs for the next year’s operational plan. This process is essential to make sure our plan stays adaptive, relevant, and grounded in reality.
Step-by-Step Process
1. Collect and Review Inputs
Each Program Team member brings to the table:
- Summary of Parent Feedback
- Summary of Children’s Feedback
- Summary of Program Managers’ Reflections
- Your own observations and experiences from this cycle
2. Identify Key Observations
Facilitator leads the team through:
- Listing the most important personal observations from each team member on a board
- Listing the most frequent or sensitive patterns from system feedback (parents, children, fellows, PMs)
Questions to keep in mind:
- What are children or parents indirectly telling us?
- Are we seeing gaps between our intent and field reality?
- What invisible forces (logistical, relational, motivational) are shaping outcomes?
3. Prioritize for Action
From the full list of feedback and observations:
- Which 2–3 insights feel most crucial to act on?
- Are they relevant to existing goals, or do they demand new goals?
Create a categorization:
- Continue: What practices should be retained because they’re working well
- Stop or Change: What needs to be rethought or retired
- Add: What new action or layer is missing and needs to be integrated
Note: Be explicit about whether each change is meant for the fellowship journey, for community learning outcomes, or for internal program culture.
4. Embed into Planning
Decide where each insight fits into next year’s plan:
- As part of new annual goals
- As part of redefined outcomes under current goals
- As guiding principles that influence how we deliver the plan
- As changes in monthly or quarterly structures (circles, reviews, planning rhythm)
Observed Gap: Missing Parent & Child Voice?
In many responses under the “what should continue” section, we noticed a relative absence of direct reference to parent or child voice. This may mean:
- We need to deepen fellow practices that capture these voices explicitly.
- We may not have named or recognized where their voices already exist.
This observation must influence how we:
- Frame reflection prompts
- Design learning reviews
Capture stakeholder inputs in ongoing cycles