Regarding wicked problems in public policy and social planning, you must recognize that some priorities, such as safer roads, better schools and lower cost of living, cannot be definitely “solved.” Progress can be made, but such challenges – like communities – are dynamic. Consider the following two strategies for managing this in the context of a feedback loop: report on incremental progress and report on a fixed schedule.
Report on incremental progress
The team can refer to strategies from Step 8 and the clear and actionable solutions and tasks you codesigned with the public. You cannot close the loop on road safety by claiming roads are suddenly safe. However, you can report progress to the public by pointing to new infrastructure (street lights, pavement, safety bollards, etc), clearer signage and new or more visibly marked pedestrian crossings. Report progress on the larger problem by pointing to the incremental successes in implementation. These kinds of communications can be made ad hoc, i.e., once the incremental benchmark is achieved.
Keep the communication proportional to the size of the accomplishment. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the installment of bollards for bike lanes or pedestrian areas is less appropriate than a similar ceremony for a new school. Instead, consider publishing a handout or flier describing the progress that has been made or updating the local authority’s social media accounts. Where possible, pictures can be useful in social media updates. See the example in Box 32 of an “intermediate results” letter issued by a city in Moldova.
Report on a fixed schedule
If implementation is complex and long term, it may be difficult to point to consistent or incremental improvements. For example, the results of an apprenticeship program for youth, subsidies to farmers or social assistance programs are difficult to identify in concrete or tangible terms. Instead, consider reporting on these programs on a regular basis, such as annually. This will allow the local authority to articulate expenditures, enumerate the number of participants in these programs and perhaps supplement the report with anecdotal data from participants and beneficiaries.
These kinds of reports can and should overlap with the regular reporting schedule of the municipality – for example, the local authority may issue an annual report or monthly newsletter or hold periodic public meetings. Progress on feedback loop priorities can be presented in these reports or at these events. However, consider visibility and the profile of your communications: if you want the public to know you have accomplished a key priority that emerged from the feedback loop process, it may be worthwhile to highlight it in a dedicated communication.
Reporting on delayed implementation, nonperformance or failure
You will not always be able to follow up with good news. However, that does not mean that you cannot still close the loop. Rather than leave the public guessing about what has or has not been accomplished, you should articulate the successes alongside the failures.
In the case of delays or shortcomings, it is important to indicate why certain priorities were not achieved – such as due to budget shortfalls, an unexpected or urgent intervening development (such as flooding or a pandemic), or an unanticipated political, administrative or other hurdle. Communicate whether the priority is unachievable or postponed until resources become available or an intervening priority or challenge is resolved. It is worse to ignore the shortcomings and never provide updates on unresolved priorities than to inform the public that the priority has not been achieved – because the public and civil society often already know or can tell that the priority remains unaddressed. Proactively informing them about your intentions helps fill the gap in public knowledge and awareness that triggers complaints and undermines public confidence.