Public Consultation Feedback Sankey Diagram: Editable Template
Trace consultation responses from channel to theme to the final decision, to show what was adopted, changed, rejected or referred on. Editable template with invented figures.
A consultation feedback Sankey shows what happened to what people said: which channel it arrived by, what it was about, and how the final decision treated it.
The example council received 950 responses to a local plan. They came by online form, email, public meeting and letter, and each is filed under its main theme: traffic, housing, green space, services or other. The last column shows whether the point was adopted, adopted with changes, not adopted or referred on to another body.
This is a way to account for responses, which councils are often asked to do. It is not a measure of public opinion: responses are self-selected, a campaign can produce many identical ones, and a point that was not adopted may still have been weighed carefully. The counts are invented. Related public-sector flows: /sankey/permit-application-flow, /sankey/housing-waiting-list and /sankey/sankey-diagram-for-public-budgets.
How to read this diagram
- 950 responses arrived; 600 (63.2%) came through the online form.
- Traffic is the most raised theme at 290 responses (30.5%), followed by housing at 255.
- Traffic also has the most points not adopted, 120 of 290 (41.4%), while green space has the fewest, 20 of 170 (11.8%).
- Across all themes 520 responses (54.7%) were adopted or adopted with changes, and 155 (16.3%) were referred on; services accounts for 60 of those.
- These are counts of responses, not of people or of support for a view, so a wide ribbon means many responses, not a majority.
The data behind it
Invented response counts for a fictional council consultation. Not data about any real authority. Counting responses is not a measure of public opinion.
| From | To | Amount (responses) |
|---|---|---|
| Online form | Traffic | 200 |
| Online form | Housing | 150 |
| Online form | Green space | 120 |
| Online form | Services | 80 |
| Online form | Other | 50 |
| Traffic | 40 | |
| Housing | 50 | |
| Green space | 20 | |
| Services | 30 | |
| Other | 10 | |
| Public meeting | Traffic | 30 |
| Public meeting | Housing | 40 |
| Public meeting | Green space | 20 |
| Public meeting | Services | 20 |
| Public meeting | Other | 10 |
| Letter | Traffic | 20 |
| Letter | Housing | 15 |
| Letter | Green space | 10 |
| Letter | Services | 25 |
| Letter | Other | 10 |
| Traffic | Adopted | 40 |
| Traffic | Adopted with changes | 110 |
| Traffic | Not adopted | 120 |
| Traffic | Referred on | 20 |
| Housing | Adopted | 60 |
| Housing | Adopted with changes | 80 |
| Housing | Not adopted | 90 |
| Housing | Referred on | 25 |
| Green space | Adopted | 90 |
| Green space | Adopted with changes | 50 |
| Green space | Not adopted | 20 |
| Green space | Referred on | 10 |
| Services | Adopted | 30 |
| Services | Adopted with changes | 40 |
| Services | Not adopted | 25 |
| Services | Referred on | 60 |
| Other | Adopted | 10 |
| Other | Adopted with changes | 10 |
| Other | Not adopted | 20 |
| Other | Referred on | 40 |
The same data as CSV
source,target,value
Online form,Traffic,200
Online form,Housing,150
Online form,Green space,120
Online form,Services,80
Online form,Other,50
Email,Traffic,40
Email,Housing,50
Email,Green space,20
Email,Services,30
Email,Other,10
Public meeting,Traffic,30
Public meeting,Housing,40
Public meeting,Green space,20
Public meeting,Services,20
Public meeting,Other,10
Letter,Traffic,20
Letter,Housing,15
Letter,Green space,10
Letter,Services,25
Letter,Other,10
Traffic,Adopted,40
Traffic,Adopted with changes,110
Traffic,Not adopted,120
Traffic,Referred on,20
Housing,Adopted,60
Housing,Adopted with changes,80
Housing,Not adopted,90
Housing,Referred on,25
Green space,Adopted,90
Green space,Adopted with changes,50
Green space,Not adopted,20
Green space,Referred on,10
Services,Adopted,30
Services,Adopted with changes,40
Services,Not adopted,25
Services,Referred on,60
Other,Adopted,10
Other,Adopted with changes,10
Other,Not adopted,20
Other,Referred on,40How it works
Log each response once
Record the channel and decide on one main theme per response, with a rule for responses that raise several.
Enter channel to theme
Add a flow from each channel to each theme with the number of responses.
Record the decision
Send each theme to the outcome the final report gave it. Use Referred on for points outside the body's powers.
Say how you counted
Note how duplicates, petitions and campaign responses were treated, as they change the widths.
Frequently asked questions
What if one response covers several themes?
Either file it under its main theme, as here, or count it once per theme and say so. In the second case the total will exceed the number of responses, so state the unit clearly.
Can I add a column for who responded?
Yes, if you collect it. Add a stage and nodes for groups such as residents or businesses, with amounts from your records. Handle personal data with care and only show groups large enough to be anonymous.
Edit this consultation Sankey
Open the template as your own chart and enter your channels, themes and decision outcomes.