Co-design: citizen’s surveysElke Van Soom

Memori – Lessius Mechelen

Using citizen/user feedback/opinions/input to create or improve (digital) services

Why

I’ve been working here for 20 years, I know what people want and need.

We are not a commercial business. Who needs our services knows where to find us.

Why should we invest in user satisfaction research? We are understaffed as it is …

Why

Because of the digital divide we shouldn’t invest too much in online services.

In our municipal policy plan local youth are indicated as an important target group. Therefore we will open a separate youth desk in the town hall.

Service provider Client

ServicesIdeasCommunication

KnowledgeReputationNeeds ThresholdsAppreciation

When• Mirror• Quality care• Effectiveness• Efficiency• Target group approach• Creating support• Help prioritising• Stop arbitrariness

Different research questions, different techniques

What do we want to know (and measure)?• (problem)identifying research• problem solving research

– Measurable problem!– Can be result of problem identifying research

• policy supporting or orienting research

Define your research question!=determines methodology and research design

Inventorise existing data

Choice of research method(s)

QUANTITATIVE• Statistics => intensity

• Representative• Generalized conclusions

for population or segements

• Landscape portrait

QUALITATIVE• Hypothesis forming =>

diversity• Non-representative• Depth

• Illustration

Choice of research method(s)• Depends on research question: diversity or

intensity of opinions?• Do you want representative data?• Combination of methods increases validity

– Explorative qualitative research (deskresearch, interviews, focus groups, …)

– Survey (population or sample)– Expertgroup – Deepening interviews/focusgroups

Choice of research method(s)• When researching innovative

products/services/plans …– Be very careful when questioning subjects people don’t

know!• Eye on the past, back to the future• Predictable tendency towards conservatism• Could be restraining useful innovations

– Co-design your questionnaire!• Focusgroups

– Show and explain possibilities– Hypothesis forming

• Work with statements

Do you think this is a product you would like to use to travel to or from work?

CASE: DIGITAL SERVICES SURVEY KORTRIJK REGION

Survey on services in Kortrijk region

WHY?• No recent data about knowledge, use and

appreciation of (digital) channels and (e-)services• Benchmark

Survey on (digital) services• 5 municipalities, over 3000 respondents• 1 questionnaire with local accents

Written questionnaire– 1 standardised questionnaire:

• ICT usage and acces• Communication with municipality• Knowledge and usage of digital applications• Priorities for the digital future

– (Limited) accent per municipality• Name municipality• url local website• 2 tailor made questions:

Knowledge of municipal digital applications Priorities for the digital future

1. Get to know your citizenon:• contacts with the municipality

o Used and preferred channels(informative, administrative en interactive contacts)

o Which citizens use digital or traditional channels?• knowledge and usage of offered services• ICT acces and usage• priorities for service delivery and digital future

= customer focused services!

2. Direction for developments/innovation

• Citizen’s priorities give direction for further investments in (digital) services.

• Basis for selective and efficient investments

= strategic development of (digital) service delivery

Questions on innovation?

Based on 6 focus group sessions:– 3 mixed– 1 youth– 1 Moroccan youth– 1 seniors

Input for questions on ‘Your communication with municipality’ and ‘Your priorities for digital future’

Statements – level of agreement

3. Benchmark• Basic measuring of municipal

performance/perceived quality on (digital) service delivery.

• Comparing own performance with other participating municipalities

= learn from each other= improve performances

What did we learn?

• Don’t assume, ask…

• Use existing data as a basis for your survey

• Co-design your survey

• Surveys cost money, but they can save you (and

your citizens/clients) a lot of problems and

frustration

• Combine your expertise with user feedback

elke.van.soom@mechelen.lessius.eu+32 15 369 311www.memori.bewww.lessius.eu