Basic Research & Consultation
Tools & Techniques
Tracy Ricketts
Delegated Grants & Programmes Manager
Herefordshire Council
What this workshop will cover:
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Things to think about at the outset
Overview of a range of consultation
techniques
Survey design
Questionnaire Design
Analysis
Where to get assistance from
Things to think about at the outset
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WHY are you consulting?
WHAT do you need to find out?
WHAT other research has been done?
WHEN are you planning to consult?
WHO are you consulting?
HOW are you planning to consult?
HOW is the data going to be processed &
analysed
HOW are you going to feedback the results?
Techniques
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Many alternatives – choose method(s) to suit
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Main considerations
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Information sought – quantitative or
qualitative?
Target population – specific groups?
Cost
For quantitative information
Best methods:
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Questionnaire surveys
- Self-completion (postal or electronic)
- Interview (telephone or face-to-face)
(for usage & satisfaction levels)
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Ballots/referenda/deliberative polling
(for decision making)
Questionnaire surveys
Who?
 People who live, work in or visit your area
 Service users and/or non-users
 Specific demographic groups
How?
 Census or random sample – need list of
names/addresses
 Citizens Panel
 Representative groups
 Self-select
Cost?
 Depends on method, sample size & length of survey
For qualitative information
eg about experiences & problems
Best methods:
 Interview (telephone or face to face)
 Focus groups
 Mystery shopping
 Planning for Real
 World cafe
Focus groups
Who?
 People who live or work in your area
 Service users and/or non-users
 Specific demographic groups
How?
 User panel
 Citizens Panel
 Representative groups
Cost?
 Depends on size/number of groups and availability
of in-house trained facilitators
Brief overview of types of techniques
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Document consultation
Questionnaire Surveys (postal and electronic)
Telephone Surveys
Face-to-face
Focus Groups
Open/public meetings
Feedback from frontline staff about Service
Users Experiences
Mystery shopping
Brief overview of types of techniques
contd.
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Comments
Deliberative polling (referenda & ballots)
People’s or World café
Participatory budgeting
Planning for Real
Representative groups
Citizens’ panel
Other non-formal accepted
information:
In addition to the more structured and formal
methods of acceptable information to support
your quest, Herefordshire Council accepts the
following:Letters of support
Letters of complaint (if it goes in support of the
action you’re seeking funding for!)
3. General anecdotal information supported by the
more formal approach of consultation/evidence.
All have to be relevant, proportionally, to the
scheme you’re wishing to seek funding for to be
deemed valid as evidence of need.
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Mix & match to suit......
1. Set the scene - use data from your own monitoring
records and any other ‘secondary data’
There may be more information than you realise!
‘A good operating rule is to consider a survey akin to
surgery – to be used only after other possibilities
have been exhausted’
(Robert Feber & PJ Verdoorn, Research Methods in
Economics & Business (New York: MacMillan, 1962))
Mix & match to suit......
2. To determine issues – use qualitative
methods eg Planning for Real/Parish Plan
3. To obtain statistics to measure extent of
issues – use quantitative methods eg postal
surveys
4. To obtain more information about specific
issues – use qualitative methods eg focus
groups
See Guidance for more comprehensive list
& points to consider
Survey design
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If you want to gain statistics for the population
from results for a sample, need to consider:
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Target population – list of names/addresses
Sampling method - simple random or stratified?
Sample size – to give required confidence limits
Non-response: how to minimise (design,
covering letter, pilot, reminders)
Questionnaire design
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Based on your experience (either producing or
responding to a questionnaire survey), what
would you say are the main ‘dos & don'ts’?
Questionnaire design – quick tips
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Tell people why you are doing the consultation
Keep it short & simple
Only ask questions if results can be
used/acted upon
Make questions as neutral as possible
Avoid ambiguity
Only ask one question at a time
Be as specific as possible
Be clear about confidentiality/anonymity
Include relevant diversity monitoring
questions
Question types
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Yes/No
Single choice
Multiple choice
Ranked choice
Numerical scale
Numeric
Free Text
Return rates:
What is good, bad or of no use …….. A lot of
depends!
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It is generally expected that 30% and above
is a good response
20% would be expected for a general ‘pick
up’ consultation
Less than 10% would not be representative or
deemed eligible as evidence of need
Spot the errors!
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Identify all the things that are wrong with this
questionnaire and suggest changes to
overcome problems.
Analysis – things to consider
How?
 Excel or specialist software eg SNAP, SPSS
 Staff/Volunteer capacity (time & skills)
If being done by you or your staff/volunteers
 Weighting (to correct for under/over
representation of specific groups in sample)
 Bases for calculating percentages
 Confidence intervals
 Cross-tabulations (to see links)
 Graphs (to see patterns & trends)
Bases for calculating percentages
In a survey people were asked a number of questions
including:
Do you think Herefordshire is a great place to live?
600 people returned the questionnaire
500 people answered the question:
300 said "Yes" 100 said "No" 100 said "Don't know"
What proportion said "Yes”, was it:
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A. 50%
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B. 60%
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C. 75%
General pointers …….
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Ensure consultation is the right approach for
the situation and the time
Make sure it is not seen as a token gesture
and the decision is a fait accompli
Plan carefully and allow adequate time
(Consultation Plan, Logging Form)
Test your questionnaire before going ‘live’
Publish your results – what are the actions to
be taken as a result of the consultation and
why – be honest!
General pointers contd ………..
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Make sure it is the right people undertaking
the consultation – impacts on engagement
Refer to Consultation & Survey Guidance
Ask for advice/support from your local support
mechanisms
In short, do all that you can to ensure that
the data is robust – otherwise you've
wasted your time & that of all those
involved!
Sources of information:
Majority of Councils do have a research team
of some description
 Regional Observatories who carry out
regional statistical gathering may have local
contacts (Welsh Data Unit in Wales)
Other websites
 Neighbourhood statistics –
www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk
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Sources of information contd.
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www.nomisweb.co.uk for particular topic
Rural issues, the Commission for Rural
Communities is another source –
www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk.
General government departments publish
their own data DWP, DCSF, CLG.
Information specific to Herefordshire
Herefordshire Council’s Research Team contact
(01432) 260498 email
researchteam@herefordshire.gov.uk
 State of Herefordshire Report
 Ward Area Profiles
 Topic related information/data
Many thanks for listening and
participating………..
Contact details:
Tracy Ricketts,
Delegated Grants & Programmes Manager
Tel – 01432 260634
Email – tar@herefordshire.gov.uk