Note: By clicking the icon  , readers will arrive at the Master Checklist that corresponds to each point of the timeline. |
Immediately after forum
Venue break-down and scheduling forum debrief
Conveners must be aware of the venue reservation period to allocate time for break-down and cleaning after the forum concludes. Forum organizers and/or volunteers may arrange to assist with cleaning the venue, unless professional cleaning service is enlisted.
The planning committee and event chair should also decide on a time and date in the next few days to conduct a forum debrief with fellow organizers. A debrief is important to soliciting additional feedback on the forum outcomes, addressing concerns, and suggesting improvement for future forum planning.
One to two days after forum
Post-event outreach and forum debrief
The day after the forum, the working group in charge of Marketing and Communications should reach out to attendees via email to thank them for their participation. Include important takeaways from keynote speakers and other presenters, as well as a link to the feedback form. If applicable, update the event’s website and social media accounts with video recordings of presentations, photos, and a link to the feedback form as well. Conveners may also decide to draft a press release, summarizing the forum for publication in university newsletters, university news websites, and other media outlets.
A forum debrief should take place within a week after the cross-sector climate forum. The event chair should preside over the debrief to discuss key aspects of the forum, such as forum planning and event execution. The event chair is encouraged to create a meeting agenda for the forum debrief, which may include a set of questions to guide the discussion. Below, we have compiled several questions that the event chair may consider asking, such as:
- Did we achieve our intended objectives?
- How can we improve the delivery of our objectives?
- Did the audience understand the presentations?
- What errors were encountered during the event?
- What were some successes we achieved during the forum?
- What are our next steps in implementing the ideas shared and actions identified during the forum?
Any problems that were encountered during any stage of the planning, or even on the day of the event, should be brought up, as it may help future planning.
Two weeks after forum
Feedback analysis
Two weeks following the event (or earlier, if preferred), conveners may begin analyzing feedback collected from forum participants. Take note of shortcomings, recommendations, and interests declared by participants. This can ensure local stakeholder participation is valued and incorporated in the outcomes of future cross-sector climate forums. Together with notes taken during the debrief session, it will serve as a guide for the next forum and planning committee.
No later than two weeks after the forum, the Marketing and Communications working group should circulate the press release via their preferred communication channels. The document should contain key takeaways from keynote speakers and presentations from the forum, which would benefit those who have registered for the forum but did not attend and other community stakeholders.
Six months after forum
Follow-up with stakeholders
Organizers are expected to deliberate on their next steps after an illuminating exchange with community stakeholders at their cross-sector climate forums. The conversations and discussions held may have prompted a shift in priorities and therefore requires a reevaluation of the previous set of actions to design and implement initiatives and place-based solutions that are supported by community stakeholders. That said, conveners are encouraged to report out and share their journey with stakeholders as a way of maintaining accountability. It is important to highlight and communicate what was achieved as a result of the convening to reassure stakeholders that their opinions and concerns are being addressed.