STAGE 7: ACTING ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS
How to close the loop on your engagement
Closing the feedback loop means showing people how their contributions were heard, understood, and used—or explaining why they weren’t. It’s essential for building legitimacy, trust, and ongoing relationships with communities.
Why?
One of the most common frustrations people have with public engagement is feeling like their time and ideas disappear into a void.
When participants don’t hear back, it can: reinforce cynicism about public participation, undermine trust in the engagement process, make people feel undervalued or ignored and reduce willingness to take part again.
What does ‘Closing the Loop’ mean?
Closing the feedback loop involves:
- Reporting back clearly on what was said and what will happen next
- Explaining decisions transparently, especially when not all input can be acted on
- Following up over time as actions are taken
- Acknowledging contributions and saying thank you
It’s not just a final step—it’s a commitment to accountability throughout the process.
Key moments to close the loop
You’ll likely need to close the loop multiple times, not just at the end of your engagement process. The table below offers key moments for closing the loop.
📩 You can download this table as a word document here.
| Stage | What to feedback |
|---|---|
| After recruitment during the onboarding process (if you know in advance who you are engaging with) | Confirm they’ve been selected, what happens next and what to expect. |
| During engagement | Let participants know how their input is being used in real time, giving examples. |
| After engagement | Report what was said, what decisions were made, and how their ideas influenced outcomes. Be honest about limitations. |
| As actions are implemented (or not) | Provide updates on progress and share any resulting changes, outcomes, or ongoing opportunities for involvement. Be transparent and honest when ideas can’t be implemented and explain the reasons why. |
How to respond when you can’t act on a recommendation?
Sometimes you won’t be able to implement everything people asked for.
That’s okay – but you need to communicate why.
Do:
- Be honest and specific
- Show how decisions were made
- Share any alternatives or next steps
- Offer opportunities for future involvement
Avoid:
- Going silent
- Overpromising or implying things you can’t deliver
- Minimise people’s contributions
Pause and think
You’ve delivered a public engagement process and you can’t act on some or all of the recommendations.
Ask yourself:
- Have you explained clearly and honestly why you can’t act on certain recommendations?
- Have you acknowledged people’s contributions and shown they were taken seriously – even if the outcome isn’t what they hoped for?
- Have you shown how decisions were made?
- Have you offered anything instead? Are there alternative actions, compromises, or opportunities for continued involvement you can share?
Exercise: Are you closing the loop well?
Use this checklist to reflect on how effectively you’re following up with participants after public engagement. Answer Yes or No to each item to identify areas for improvement in your communication and ongoing relationship with participants.
📩 You can download this table here.
| Checklist | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| We planned follow-up from the start | |
| Participants were thanked personally and publicly | |
| We shared what we heard from the engagement | |
| We showed what changed as a result | |
| We explained anything that couldn’t happen and why | |
| We offered ways to stay engaged and updated | |
| Our feedback was clear and accessible | |
| We have a plan for ongoing communication with the participants |
Closing the loop is the start of something bigger
Closing the feedback loop isn’t just good practice—it’s essential for building trust, legitimacy, and stronger relationships with the public. When people see how their input leads to real decisions—or understand why it can’t—they’re more likely to stay engaged, contribute again, and encourage others to take part.
By planning for feedback from the outset, staying transparent throughout, and communicating clearly after decisions are made, you help turn engagement from a one-off event into a foundation for lasting democratic participation.
It’s not just about ending well. It’s about setting the stage for what comes next.