How to Track Key Engagement Metrics in Public Meetings

  • By: Brennan Ward
  • January 6, 2025

Public meetings are full of data that can be tracked and assessed to design even better processes to conduct future public meetings with. You just have to know where to look! Here, we’ll discuss what metrics you can start tracking today, and why keeping a tab on these measurements is an important component to enhancing public meetings.

Why Track Engagement Metrics?

Tracking metrics provides a clearer picture of how well your public meetings work for your community. It can reveal participation patterns, identify barriers to engagement, and guide adjustments that make meetings more effective and inclusive. Ultimately, this data helps city clerks and local governments demonstrate transparency and accountability while always improving meeting processes.

Key Engagement Metrics to Track

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most important metrics to track and how they can offer insights for improvement:

1. Attendance Patterns and Demographics

What to Measure:

  • Total number of attendees (in-person and virtual)
  • Attendance trends over time (e.g., by time of day, day of the week)
  • Basic demographics (when appropriate): age group, neighborhood, length of residency

How to Collect:

  • Sign-in sheets for in-person meetings
  • Participant logs from digital meeting platforms like eScribe
  • Optional registration forms with demographic questions

Insights Gained:

Consistently low attendance might indicate inconvenient meeting times or ineffective promotion. Demographic data can reveal whether certain groups are underrepresented, helping guide outreach efforts and improve inclusivity and accessibility.

2. Participation Levels

What to Measure:

  • Number of public speakers during meetings
  • Written questions and comments submitted
  • Engagement through Q&A or polling tools

How to Collect:

  • Tally speakers and comments during meetings
  • Use digital tools for virtual participation tracking

Insights Gained:

A high turnout with minimal participation could suggest barriers to involvement. Consider simplifying participation guidelines or promoting public speaking opportunities more clearly.

3. Agenda Item Engagement

What to Measure:

  • Time spent discussing each agenda item
  • Number of public comments or questions per topic

How to Collect:

  • Meeting transcripts or video recordings with timestamps
  • Manual tracking during meetings

Insights Gained:

If certain agenda topics consistently spark more engagement, it may indicate community priorities. Use this information to allocate more time for high-interest issues or explore alternative ways to present low-engagement topics.

4. Accessibility and Technical Barriers

What to Measure:

  • Number of accessibility requests (e.g., translation, closed captioning, etc.)
  • Mid-meeting drop-off rates for virtual attendees
  • Requests for materials in alternative formats

How to Collect:

  • Track accommodation requests during registration
  • Monitor attendance patterns during virtual meetings
  • Provide post-meeting feedback forms specifically asking about accessibility

Insights Gained:

High drop-off rates may suggest technical challenges or attendees feeling unable to effectively participate, while frequent translation requests could highlight language barriers. Adjust meeting platforms and materials accordingly.

5. Post-Meeting Feedback and Sentiment Analysis

What to Measure:

  • Feedback survey results
  • Sentiment analysis of public comments
  • Direct feedback on meeting clarity and usefulness

How to Collect:

  • Post-meeting email surveys
  • QR code links to feedback forms at in-person meetings
  • Analyze comment language for sentiment trends

Insights Gained:

Feedback can reveal recurring issues like unclear agendas or overly lengthy meetings. Positive feedback can also highlight successful strategies worth continuing or expanding.

Tools and Methods for Data Collection

Implementing the right tools simplifies engagement metric tracking:

Meeting Management Software: Platforms like eScribe can simplify attendance and participation data collection.

Survey Tools: Tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey make post-meeting feedback collection straightforward.

Turning Data into Action

Collecting data is just the start—what you do with it matters most. Here’s how to translate data into meaningful improvements:

Identify Trends: If attendance peaks during budget hearings but drops for planning updates, consider more targeted outreach for lower-engagement topics.

Adjust Meeting Formats: If feedback suggests meetings run too long, explore shorter, more focused sessions.

Enhance Accessibility: High virtual drop-off rates? Simplify platform instructions or offer technical support.

Getting Started: Small Steps for Big Impact

You don’t need to track everything at once. Begin with one or two metrics—like attendance trends and post-meeting feedback—then expand as you become more comfortable with data collection.

By tracking engagement metrics thoughtfully, city clerks can drive continuous improvement, making public meetings more inclusive, accessible, and effective for their communities.

 

eScribe is a cloud-based meeting management software that makes public meetings hassle-free for everyone involved – from city clerks to meeting participants to the public. With simple navigation and a suite of tools that save time, simplify collaboration, and improve accessibility, you’ll never have to dread tedious meeting-related work again.

Whether you’re preparing agendas or minutes, collaborating on documents, conducting meetings, holding a vote, or even just trying to find that one item you’re looking for, eScribe makes it easy. Learn more about eScribe here.