This is an exciting framework, thank you. Throughout the piece, I kept wondering how the stages and approaches will change and adapt once our orgs bring “real constituents” into the organization as leaders, on boards and on staff. How will the iterations of engagement change once our organizational structures are composed of “the underrepresented”, and equity, inclusion, and access are well integrated into our organizations?
This is a great question, Rebecca. In fact, the framework and 5 phases of engagement work even better when real constituents are on board as you’ve described. We find that organizations are best able to use and leverage this framework when they are seeing and planning through their constituents’ eyes. When that is not yet in place, organizations may find themselves challenged to answer the question of what is happening for their constituents at some points, but recognizing their own gaps in understanding or knowledge may itself serve as motivation to involve, hire or more fully include and center their constituents. We’d love to hear how you’re seeing it play out, and would be happy to chat about what we’re seeing too!
Thank you for sharing how constituent feedback can create improved programs and more active citizens. This work also lays the groundwork for a culture change in which an organization recognizes that it will be increasingly difficult to fulfill their service mission as long as the communities they serve have little voice in decisions affecting public policies and budget and revenue priorities.
Thank you for your comment Community Votes, we agree: the people community and people affected need to have a say in policy and programs relating to their needs, and there are opportunities to do this beyond constituent/client surveys after program delivery, but intentional involvement of constituents early on in planning.
COMMENTS
BY Community Resource Exchange
ON February 21, 2018 10:56 AM
Thank you for this piece SSIR!
BY Rebecca Lane
ON February 22, 2018 04:00 PM
This is an exciting framework, thank you. Throughout the piece, I kept wondering how the stages and approaches will change and adapt once our orgs bring “real constituents” into the organization as leaders, on boards and on staff. How will the iterations of engagement change once our organizational structures are composed of “the underrepresented”, and equity, inclusion, and access are well integrated into our organizations?
BY International Professors Project
ON February 24, 2018 11:57 AM
This is a very useful in large measure because its a very concretized framework for getting needed civic things done
BY Community Resource Exchange
ON February 26, 2018 06:51 AM
This is a great question, Rebecca. In fact, the framework and 5 phases of engagement work even better when real constituents are on board as you’ve described. We find that organizations are best able to use and leverage this framework when they are seeing and planning through their constituents’ eyes. When that is not yet in place, organizations may find themselves challenged to answer the question of what is happening for their constituents at some points, but recognizing their own gaps in understanding or knowledge may itself serve as motivation to involve, hire or more fully include and center their constituents. We’d love to hear how you’re seeing it play out, and would be happy to chat about what we’re seeing too!
BY Community Resource Exchange
ON February 27, 2018 10:40 AM
Thank you International Professors Project—we’d love to hear your experience using it when you have the chance!
BY Community Votes
ON March 8, 2018 09:27 AM
Thank you for sharing how constituent feedback can create improved programs and more active citizens. This work also lays the groundwork for a culture change in which an organization recognizes that it will be increasingly difficult to fulfill their service mission as long as the communities they serve have little voice in decisions affecting public policies and budget and revenue priorities.
BY Community Resource Exchange
ON March 8, 2018 10:34 AM
Thank you for your comment Community Votes, we agree: the people community and people affected need to have a say in policy and programs relating to their needs, and there are opportunities to do this beyond constituent/client surveys after program delivery, but intentional involvement of constituents early on in planning.