How can you effectively collect feedback from expert panels?

1 Define your purpose and criteria

Before you reach out to any experts, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with their feedback and how you will measure it. For example, do you want to validate your assumptions, generate new ideas, or evaluate different options? What are the key questions, criteria, or indicators that you will use to guide the feedback process and assess the outcomes? Having a well-defined purpose and criteria will help you communicate your expectations, select the most relevant experts, and structure the feedback format.

2 Choose your experts and methods

Depending on your purpose and criteria, you may need different types of experts and methods to collect their feedback. For example, if you want to explore a complex or uncertain issue, you may benefit from a diverse and multidisciplinary panel that can offer different perspectives and experiences. If you want to compare or rank different alternatives, you may need a more homogeneous and specialized panel that can apply consistent standards and judgments. You also need to consider the best method to collect feedback, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or workshops. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, time, quality, and quantity of feedback.

3 Prepare and engage your experts

Once you have chosen your experts and methods, you need to prepare and engage them effectively. This means providing them with clear and concise information about the purpose, criteria, and process of the feedback, as well as the expected outcomes and benefits. You also need to establish rapport and trust with your experts, by acknowledging their expertise, inviting their questions and suggestions, and showing appreciation and recognition for their contribution. Additionally, you need to ensure that your experts have enough time, resources, and support to provide quality feedback.

4 Collect and analyze feedback

When you collect feedback from your experts, you need to ensure that it is accurate, relevant, and useful for your decision-making. This means following a systematic and transparent process that minimizes errors, biases, and conflicts. For example, you can use multiple sources, methods, and rounds of feedback to increase reliability and validity. You can also use structured formats, scales, and criteria to reduce ambiguity and variability. Moreover, you need to analyze the feedback in a way that identifies patterns, trends, gaps, and outliers, as well as the underlying assumptions, arguments, and evidence.

5 Interpret and apply feedback

After you have collected and analyzed feedback from your experts, you need to interpret and apply it in a way that supports your decision-making. This means synthesizing the main findings, insights, and recommendations from the feedback, as well as the strengths, limitations, and implications. You also need to compare and contrast the feedback with other sources of information and knowledge, such as data, research, or best practices. Furthermore, you need to use the feedback to inform, refine, or revise your decision, as well as to justify, communicate, or implement it.

6 Monitor and evaluate feedback

Finally, you need to monitor and evaluate the feedback from your experts over time, to assess its effectiveness and impact on your decision-making. This means tracking the results, outcomes, and consequences of your decision, as well as the feedback itself. You also need to solicit and incorporate feedback from other stakeholders, such as customers, partners, or beneficiaries, who may have different perspectives and experiences. Moreover, you need to review and learn from the feedback process, by identifying what worked well, what did not, and what can be improved.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?