Surveys are a great way for local governments to understand and meet the needs of their community. They gather valuable information that can provide a basis for improving the quality of life for residents. But, if not done properly, survey research can lead to inconsistencies and unreliable results.
Centralizing survey research is a key step in ensuring that survey efforts are effective. This means having one person or team responsible for designing survey questionnaires so that they are consistent regardless of which department or subject they relate to.
This helps ensure that questions are standardized, relevant, and measure what you need to know. Read on to learn about 3 major benefits of centralizing survey research.
Research Consistency:
Consistency in survey structure, results in data that is comparable across departments and can be used to inform decision-making. When a municipality builds a culture of data-driven decision making it can lead to better outcomes for residents and can help to build trust and credibility with the community.
Residents will respond at higher rates when they are more familiar and comfortable with the design, the style, and the survey’s approach. This is something that can only really be achieved by using a centralized process.
Reduced Workload:
Centralizing survey research helps reduce the workload for individual departments. Allowing one person or team to be responsible for designing, administering and analyzing all surveys makes it easier to draw data-driven conclusions and make decisions quickly - while also freeing up each department to focus on their core work.
Resident Survey Fatigue:
To get the best survey outcomes it is critical to create an environment of trust and understanding among residents by consistently delivering a fairly high – or same – standard of quality. Residents who have had positive experiences with municipal surveys are more likely to participate in the future and provide insightful responses.
On the flip side, if surveys are randomly distributed by different departments to a similar pool of residents, participation rates will dramatically decline. Each subsequent survey, especially if they are being distributed around the same time, will likely receive fewer and fewer responses. Additionally, if survey topics have some overlap this will cause further confusion and negatively impact response rates.
It’s important for departments, or even better for a centralized person or team, to coordinate their surveys’ timing and content.
Key Take-Aways:
Even though some DIY software is designed to support a survey free-for-all it truly isn’t in the best interest of the individual planners or the community to use this approach.
Centralizing survey research is an important step for municipal employees which can lead to better decision-making, reduced workloads, and a culture of data-driven decision-making. Let's work together to centralize your survey efforts and get the most out of your research. Book a complimentary Discovery Call to discuss your next project!