What a day! Feedback+New York was a huge success – full of interesting speakers, intriguing questions and incredible food. But with so many sessions and announcements packed into one day, we need a bit of a recap. Ready to rewind?
With freshly brewed coffee and excitement in the air, Feedback+New York advisory committee members welcomed attendees and set the stage. Over the past few months, the advisory committee has worked tirelessly to make Feedback+New York possible. Their inputs and ideas helped lead the case for listening and curatde sessions with local changemakers.
Excited to be with @feedbacklabs this morning and ready to explore listening, research and theory about partucipant feedback, increasing equity and improving outcomes. Should be a full and rich day #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/qNCsqmNmnD
— Sheri R (@MusEdNyc) October 11, 2019
Laura Maher of Siegel Family Endowment and Midori Valdivia of MTA kicking off Feedback+New York! #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/RFzhh0l74Z
— Feedback Labs (@FeedbackLabs) October 11, 2019
Then, it was time to be inspired, and challenged.
Bill Easterly kicked of Feedback+New York with a talk about using feedback as an indicator for success, and gave us a few examples of unsuccessful feedback loops (Yankees game, anyone?)
No better way to launch a day of #feedback and #learning than getting your mind blown by @bill_easterly at #FBLSummit with @FeedbackLabs at @150W83 pic.twitter.com/jrVd55vsZ4
— Samhir Vasdev (@samhirvasdev) October 11, 2019
“You have to respect the power of choice and consent to know your program is working.” Preach, @bill_easterly! #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/YVM1u8wNC8
— Alison Carlman (@acarlman) October 11, 2019
Good reminder from @bill_easterly that systems are collections of individuals, & changing systems takes patience and commitment to changing minds. Systems don’t change by themselves. #FBLSummit
— Bethia McNeil (@bethiamcneil) October 11, 2019
Brian Vines joined for a back-and-forth about the importance of choice and empowerment in aid. With such a lively pair, we got our fair share of comedy, too.
Question from @BRICTV: “Is there an example of someone who’s done it [development and aid] right?” @bill_easterly: ”Yeah, @GlobalGiving and @FeedbackLabs.” #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/kDtqOrUs70
— Alison Carlman (@acarlman) October 11, 2019
Great examples and discussion by @bill_easterly and @BRICTV at #FBLSummit @FeedbackLabs to fundamentally respect our participants and users right to choice and to be heard, and being people centered vs. turning out the work pic.twitter.com/GPuQaCGynO
— SJLRsolutions (@MuseSjlr) October 11, 2019
Morning breakout sessions explored evidence and case studies about the value of feedback. We heard everything from international lightning talks, to arguments for the importance of community feedback in investing, to deep conversation on youth voice here in New York.
Cheri at @AccountLab, @SamhirVasdev at @IREXintl, & more share approaches to feedback–comunity help desks, listening & share back events–and evidence for impact, including local gov budget allocations and behavior change, at #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/uAV1w7KWPj
— Root Change (@RootChange) October 11, 2019
“If you co-create seats at the table, make sure they’re meaningful seats” says Pilar Barreyro of @PSYyouth at #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/HGNkliBeBI
— Meg VanDeusen (@megvandeusen) October 11, 2019
People want to know if anyone is really listening…it’s an excellent question, because without the knowing feedback is limited, well actually – impossible. Thank you Luke Church, @africas_voices. #FBLSummit
— Kelley D. Gulley (@Kelley_D_Gulley) October 11, 2019
Their starting point….. I can an relate. Looking forward to the research collected and practice since it is ‘hard’ @bethiamcneil #FBLSummit @FeedbackLabs pic.twitter.com/ZUMX1iDnou
— Sheri R (@MusEdNyc) October 11, 2019
Research grantees from Fund for Shared Insight shared their work with Feedback+New York in a poster session. Researchers are studying the impact of feedback on everything from employment programs for returning citizens to in-home nurse visits for new mothers. We enjoyed seeing their learnings so far, and learning about their trajectory to make the case for listening.
Kudos to Sohail Kamdar (pictured, left) from @youth_truth, for sharing our work and his enthusiasm with attendees at today’s #FBLSummit https://t.co/075TzkGJcR
— Daniel Princiotta (@dprinciotta) October 11, 2019
Lunch is served! The beautiful Eat Offbeat spread was featured authentic dishes from around the world conceived, prepared & delivered by refugees who now call NYC home. Not only was the food delicious, but the mission is too.
Special treat at @FeedbackLabs #FBLSummit today: lunch catered by @EatOffbeat ! pic.twitter.com/oGJ43SFCpl
— W83 Ministry Center (@150W83) October 11, 2019
As we enjoyed our delicious meal, and perhaps went back for seconds (or thirds!), Ambika Samarthya-Howard of the Feedback+New York Advisory committee opened up a lunchtime session exploring the value of feedback.
Sabrina Hargrave showed how feedback from elders in Brooklyn helped the Brooklyn Community Foundation figure out the “right” thing to do. Valerie Threlfall of Ekouté and Juan Clavijo of ORS Impact dove into the results from a recent Listen for Good evaluation to show how feedback is the “smart” thing to do. And Angela Eifert of Alight showed us that you can really make a difference in people’s lives with a $500 project if you let them direct the decision-making – feedback truly is a “feasible” thing to do.
“Without #feedback and community conversation how would you know what you should be giving your money for?” asks Sabrina @BklynFoundation @FeedbackLabs #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/qUL8HEMTsD
— Fund for Shared Insight (@4SharedInsight) October 11, 2019
QUESTION #FBLSUmmit: What do you say to organizations that say they don’t have time to hear from the people and communities they serve?
ANSWER: “Can you afford not to collect #feedback?” @valthrelfall #Listen4Good pic.twitter.com/vttjhBNS1G— Fund for Shared Insight (@4SharedInsight) October 11, 2019
“How can you invest in the best possible way? You need to be humble and ask and take the time to #listen and do the things that are going to be best for people,” Juan @orsimpact #FBLSummit #Listen4Good #Feedback pic.twitter.com/QnW9BNs9MD
— Fund for Shared Insight (@4SharedInsight) October 13, 2019
Excitement levels still high… listening to @valthrelfall @orsimpact “feedback – when done well – can contribute to better outcomes. But it has to be done well. It’s not just any feedback”. #FBLSummit
— Bethia McNeil (@bethiamcneil) October 11, 2019
Then, it was time for action.
Afternoon breakout sessions were all about co-creating with community. In an interactive session, Where We Live NYC and Hester Street lead us through their process for identifying root causes of discrimination and involving community in their decision-making process for equitable housing. Anthonine Pierre of the Brooklyn Movement Center drew connections between feedback and social justice movements. And Alison Carlman of GlobalGiving and Alexis Banks of RootChange shared their best practices for identifying and supporting community led change.
Great hands on session at #fblsummit with @NYCHousing to ID root causes for segregation and discrimination in NYC housing! They did this with residents to design new housing solutions. Inspiration for our #opencontracting Lift program! @FeedbackLabs pic.twitter.com/NvVgBuuMn5
— Kathrin Frauscher (@kfrauscher1) October 11, 2019
How do we do less extraction and more conversation? When we actually hear what people have to say, we can get some amazing stuff done, says @AnthoninePierre of @BKMovement. #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/wkURuPVcib
— Feedback Labs (@FeedbackLabs) October 11, 2019
What’s a feedback summit without a bit of collaborative problem-solving? We closed off the day with a series of LabStorms. We explored community-informed municipal service design with Caroline Bauer and Parker Krasney of New York City Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity, the challenges of building feedback loops into city food procurement with Kathrin Frauscher of Open Contracting Partnership and Laura White of the City of Philadelphia, and the intricacies required to leave no one behind in the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals with Elizabeth Lockwood of CBM International. The conversations were fruitful!
Great #LabStorm sessions here at the #FBLSummit. Thanks to @NYCOpportunity, @opencontracting, @PhiladelphiaGov, @CBMworldwide pic.twitter.com/0AmSCQJtA5
— Feedback Labs (@FeedbackLabs) October 11, 2019
After a day of learning and sharing, we were ready to reflect on the case for listening. Sarah Cechvala and Michael Thatcher closed off the day with advice for making the case in a series of lightning talks, and then we collaborated as a group to envision next steps.
Community members also shared some exciting announcements! Fund for Shared Insight and Feedback Labs have launched concurrent blog series about the intersection between feedback and diversity, equity and inclusion goals. And the fondly named “Irritants” announced a new self assessment called “How We Listen”. We are thrilled to see feedback becoming the norm in the social sector.
#FBLSummit in NYC has come to a close…. What’s next? Thanks to all who contributed suggestions and ideas for how to push the movement forward. pic.twitter.com/VjnkIyqSqz
— Feedback Labs (@FeedbackLabs) October 11, 2019
Exactly!!! Great NY Summit @FeedbackLabs #FBLSummit cc: @60_decibels pic.twitter.com/ixLGdKPSr1
— Sasha Dichter (@sashadichter) October 11, 2019
We are so excited and humbled by this response to the first ever Feedback+ event. There are so many people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make these conversations possible – thank you.
Our staff aim to please and we love helping events achieve success in our space. Thank you @samhirvasdev @FeedbackLabs ! #FBLSummit ???? https://t.co/DcaGGA5vZC
— W83 Ministry Center (@150W83) October 11, 2019
Cheers to the volunteers! ????#FBLSummit was a success! pic.twitter.com/WsRK6KWO7j
— Feedback Labs (@FeedbackLabs) October 11, 2019
But, making the case doesn’t end here. There are still so many more conversations to be had, and we hope you’ll join us in Puerto Rico for Feedback+San Juan February 26-28, 2020.
#FBLSummit: Appreciate the comments around ‘input fatigue’ in the conversation about feedback. Is the problem that people aren’t always asked, or are they actually asked a lot (if not well or with clear closed loops toward action).
— Heather (@hlanthorn) October 11, 2019
