Worksheet 4.6: Reporting Back to the Community

After the campaign, the Tech Steward prepares a debriefing memo for the community. This is a short document very similar to the campaign plan reflecting on results and outcomes.

The memo should be concise and no longer than two pages. It can be posted online as a blog post, distributed as a hardcopy, or a digital document.

The memo provides an opportunity for community feedback and reflection on the outcome of the campaign in relation to its goal. It is essential for having conversations with the community members and the sponsor about next steps.

It is recommended that the Tech Steward organize a community meeting to discuss a draft version of the debriefing memo with community members. Ask for feedback on the document, especially the next steps. Revise the document to include feedback from the community members and then share the final memo.

You will find a template for the debriefing memo below. It is nearly identical in structure to the campaign plan document.

Where appropriate, details from the campaign plan can simply be copied into the debrief memo to save time. However, note that the questions asked in the debrief memo are results and outcome-oriented.

The memo should include each section but keep it brief and to the point as a summary rather than an in-depth report.

Campaign Debriefing Memo Template:

Campaign Goal

Restate the goal of the campaign. Include the three important details: (1) the specific goal; (2) the primary action; (3) the community of practice.

ICT-platform chosen for the campaign

Describe the ICT platform chosen for the campaign. What tool(s) does it include and what activities will it support? What features and functions were used? If a contact or a database needs to be created for the campaign, how was that created? How was the database organized? (e.g., did you need to create separate groups, or categories?). Who administered access to the ICT platform before/during/after the campaign? Was the ICT platform secure? Did it present any privacy concerns during the campaign?

Scale and Scope of the Campaign

Describe scope, scale, and characteristics of the community of practice or user group that was involved in the campaign (include both senders and receivers of messages). How many people did you expect to participate? How much ICT interaction (e.g., messages being sent, content items being posted) did you expect during the campaign? What was the anticipated cost of messaging or other interactions for users and for the Tech Steward and/or sponsor?

Timeline

Describe the preferred starting and end dates of the campaign. Explain or indicate any important factors related to the timeline (e.g., seasonal opportunities, deadlines, etc.). Will the campaign run continuously, or is it a single action campaign? (e.g., email blast). List the key steps and deadlines for each stage of planning, implementing, and evaluating the campaign.

Resourcing and Promotional Activities

List financial, technical, and human resources that were required to accomplish the campaign. If costs were too high, what alternatives did you try to reduce the campaign budget? Describe how the campaign was promoted to the community, by whom, and what financial or human resources were required to do so (e.g., creating posters). Did you need assistance with the campaign?

Evaluation and Results

Describe briefly how the outcome of this campaign was assessed against the campaign goal. What kind of baseline information did you collect before starting the campaign? What kind of information did you collect during the campaign? What kind of information did you collect after the campaign? How did you obtain this information?

Next Steps

Describe or list any outstanding questions or concerns related to the campaign that you feel need further clarification. What is the next step for the community? Continue with the ICT platform and integrate it into regular practice. Modify the ICT platform and campaign plan based on the results and try another campaign? Abandon the ICT platform and try something else? What did you learn about the community members and their communication practices? Do community members have any suggestions for a new or different campaign?