We have moved from just informing, to encouraging 2-way communication with residents to include them and to gain valuable insights. In a previous article, we explained what community dialogue is and why it is such a useful tool for stakeholder engagement.

You are expected to show the results of your efforts, but proving the value of a dialogue with the community is difficult. It is not a clearly defined subject, but rather a sentiment that you are trying to capture and present in the form of tangible results.

Just measuring volume is not enough here, you want to measure value in terms of progress, quality, and benefit for your organisation. The input-outcome-impact framework that we discuss here is not the only answer, but it provides you with a simple and strategic system to effectively measure the value of community dialogue.

Community dialogue requires a different approach

For measuring the effect of your efforts, standard communication metrics are insufficient. 

• Community dialogue is more than simply sending information.
• It focuses on quality, rather than on frequency.
• The KPIs must measure trust, responsiveness, and problem-solving, and not only engagement numbers.

An effective way to measure community dialogue is therefore to separate what you do, what it changes, and what it ultimately achieves.

A framework based on input, outcome, impact

The framework we suggest here provides you with a system to measure community dialogue by setting up KPIs. You can use the results for learning, and to prove that your efforts are paying off. Simply saying that the community is happier, or that they responded well, is not enough. The framework consists of 3 sections, which we will discuss separately.

1. Input: what did you do?

Measuring what you did proves effort, not success. Still, these KPIs show effort are useful, because they are the steps that set the wheels in motion. They help you decide whether an action is worthwhile repeating in the future.

Input KPIs are the easiest to measure, but they do not show if your dialogue with the community is working. 

These are some examples of measurable input KPIs:

• Number of updates, meetings, or touchpoints shared per week or phase
• Number of surveys or polls conducted
• Average response time to community questions
• Number of languages used in communication materials
• Distribution of information across target groups

These are KPIs that you probably already use and that are also easily measured with the Publiq app. They give you an insight in how you encourage community dialogue, but not on how your residents feel. This sentiment within the community will be captured in the next section.

2. Outcome: what changed for the community?

In order to measure whether community dialogue is functioning, you need to measure the effects of your efforts. The outcome needs to be meaningful for it to be successful. 

These outcome KPIs are more difficult to define, so here are some examples:

• Measure clarity by assessing the decline or increase in repeated questions

• Measure the increase or decline of engagement from previously underrepresented groups (age, area, language, etc.)

• Measure the ratio of meaningful responses versus one-word replies and simple likes

• Measure a sentiment score (positive, neutral, negative) over time

• Measure the time needed to correct misinformation after it appears

These KPIs provide you with valuable information on how your residents feel towards your project or presence. They tell you if you did your job well or if you need to change tactics. The next section will tell you what community dialogue actually gained your organisation.

3. Impact: what did it achieve for your organisation?

By measuring impact, you can prove to your colleagues and leadership team how community dialogue improves results and reduces risk. They help you show the strategic value of your efforts. 

These outcome KPIs are more difficult to define, so here are some examples:

• Number of issues resolved before they escalate
• Time saved due to early clarity
• Number of design or operational improvement generated by community insight
• Percentage of returning followers engaging across multiple projects
• The acceptance rates of planned disruptions
  
  

How to choose the right KPIs and some examples

Our examples provide ample ideas into how you can effectively measure community dialogue. Now, it is time to formulate the right KPIs for your purposes, and it is important not to overmeasure. Good KPIs focus on relevance and not quantity. 

As every project is different, we cannot tell you which KPIs to use. What we can do is offer you some guidance.

• 2 to 3 KPIs per section are enough
• Choose KPIs that align with your project’s goals
• Take KPIs that track trends over time and not isolated incidents
• Do not only choose KPIs that you know will show positive results
• Combine quantitative as well as qualitative insights

Use the SMART method to make your KPIs even more valuable. Make sure that they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. 

By doing that, they should look like this: 

• Reduce repeated questions about road closures by 30% within 2 months of introducing the new FAQ format.
• Increase the opening rate of digital updates among residents in group A from 45% to 60% within 3 months.
• Reduce formal noise-related complaints by 25% in the next construction phase compared with the previous phase.

Using KPIs for internal reporting and organisational learning

The framework suggested here is not the only way to use KPIs to measure community dialogue effectively. It does, however, help you to communicate your efforts internally and measure what they do and do not achieve.

It also lets you measure the success of community dialogue in complex projects, like the Military Road and Main Street & Plaza Upgrade in Adelaide. By segmenting such a diverse community as theirs and setting up KPIs to measure community dialogue within each group, you gain valuable insights into the sentiments and drives of more specific target audiences.

The outcomes of these KPIs show value to colleagues and leadership. They show how community dialogue prevented problems or highlight lessons learnt for future projects. You can use these data to support requests for budget or staffing. And they help you understand community expectations, through input from the residents themselves.

When KPIs show how community dialogue saves time, avoids conflict and improves decisions, communication takes on a strategic function rather than a supportive one.

Conclusion

We all know that measuring community dialogue has become more and more essential. With the right structure and KPIs, you will also add meaning to it. With this framework, you can measure effort (input), effectiveness (outcome), and value (impact). 

Over time, they will help you and your teams work smarter and not harder. They will function as proof for your leadership team that you are doing the right thing. And they will greatly benefit you when applying for tender or defining your approach to projects in the future.