Strengthening disaster risk communication through continuous, two-way community engagement.
Disaster risk communication is not a process that ends once the content is published or broadcast. A feedback loop involves asking your audience for their views on your disaster risk communication and acting upon their responses.
This is a continuous process of ongoing dialogue with the audience, using their input to improve and refine your content — during project cycles or through longer crises that require regular testing and adjustment as perceptions shift.
Steps to set up a feedback loop
- Discuss with the target audience group how they would like to comment, emphasising what adjustments can and cannot be made to your content. Programme managers must be willing and able to implement recommended changes where possible.
- Set up a feedback loop using inclusive channels. These might include phonelines, focus groups, individual or group interviews, social media interactions, polls and/or suggestion boxes.
- Communicate to your audience how they can have their say, and what elements of the content can and cannot be adjusted.
- Use this audience input to make informed adjustments to your talking points, channels and communication plans.
- Thank your audience for their input and tell them how this has led to improvements.
Examples of feedback loops:
Conducting focus groups with target audiences to understand perceptions of current warnings and gather suggestions for improvement.
Using social media polls and comments to gauge audience reactions and preferences around communication channels and formats.
Implementing changes to warnings and delivery methods based on input from emergency managers and the public.
Highlighting beliefs, fears and rumours that drive misinformation, addressed through timely, trusted communication.
Feedback loops are also an effective tool to counter misinformation and disinformation. They can highlight the beliefs, fears and rumours that can drive misinformation, which you can then address through regular, timely and proactive communication via trusted channels.