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Tapping into the ‘silent Tapping into the ‘silent majority’s’ voice: The use of majority’s’ voice: The use of

sample surveys in community sample surveys in community engagement programsengagement programs

Presented by: Libby Paholski

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Overview Overview

For Community Engagement ProgramsWhy use quantitative research?What are the benefits? Types of research Case Study - Maroochy 2025 (M2025)MethodologyOther tools – Resident Feedback

Registers & Community Juries

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Why use Why use quantitative research?quantitative research?

Community engagement programs focused on qualitative research methods to obtain information:– Workshops– Meetings/forums/focus groups– Public displays– Submissions– Interviews– Self complete surveys

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Limitations – Community Limitations – Community engagementengagement

Programs/outcomes often criticised as not being representative enough

Representing the views of the vocal minority

Question - Have you ever attended a community meeting, workshop or forum about an issue in your region?

17% of respondents had attended a community meeting/forum about a community issue in their local region.

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Why use Why use quantitative research?quantitative research?  Validate key aspects of qualitative

research/community consultation (and be statistically reliable)

Hearing the views of the silent majority

Quantify community opinions – how important are social issues compared to economic and environment?

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Types of ResearchTypes of Research

Community Awareness

Community Attitudes

Community Satisfaction

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MethodologyMethodology

Random Telephone Surveys NOT mailout out /self complete surveys

10-15 questions (mainly closed ended questions)

10 minutes Sample size dependent on population

– usually with Probable Error ± 4.5% (95% Confidence Level)

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Example QuestionsExample Questions

Project Awareness Have you heard of the XYZ Strategy/Plan?  Can you tell me where or how you first heard

about the XYZ Strategy/Plan?Project Understanding  Thinking about the differences between ‘grey

water’ and ‘recycled water’. Just so we can gauge the community’s understanding of the topic…..–  How would you describe grey water? – How would you describe recycled water?

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Example QuestionsExample Questions

Priority Setting What do you think should be key priorities

for improving transport in your region?  How important are the following issues to

you as they relate to transport planning in your region (5 Point Scale: Crucial – Not Important At All)

Framing Communication Strategies  How do you generally learn about local

community issues?

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What are the benefits? What are the benefits?

Cost effective

Time efficient

Proactive in communicating issues - not reactive!

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Types of Projects Types of Projects

Road construction (Tracking & Communication Awareness/Education)

Road/transport option studies (Environment Impact Studies etc.)

Strategic Land Use Planning (Local Government Plans/Strategies)

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Maroochy 2025 Community Maroochy 2025 Community Vision Vision

A process in which the community of Maroochy developed its own vision and action plans for the future of Maroochy Shire

Each part of the community visioning process was conducted by and through the community

www.maroochy2025.net or www.maroochy.qld.gov.au

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Maroochy 2025 Community Maroochy 2025 Community Vision Vision

3 Key Stages:1 - Current Scenario - Where are we

now and where are we heading?

2 - Community’s Vision – Where do we prefer to be in 2025?

3 - Community’s Plan of Action – How will we get there?

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MethodologyMethodology

Market Facts developed survey instruments to validate each phase

Random Telephone surveys of Maroochy residents

Sample size n=484 (44 respondents from each of Council’s eleven divisions)

95% Confidence Level - Probable Error ± 4.45%

 

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1 - Current Scenario - Where are we now 1 - Current Scenario - Where are we now and where are we heading?and where are we heading?

Community Survey 1 (November 2003) Community Awareness of M2025

Reasons for living in Maroochy Shire

M2025 Core Value Statements

Strength & Weaknesses of Living in Shire

Key Community Issues Facing Shire

Community Expectation for the Future

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Figure 2: Reasons for choosing to live in Maroochy Shire

17%

17%

16%15%

12%

11%

12%

job(s)

relaxed healthy lifestyle

just liked it

scenicbeauty/environmentfamily/friends

climate

others

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Figure 4: Maroochy's greatest strength as a place to live

47%

25%

25%3%

nice place to live/qualityof coastal Life

climate/weather

diverse scenicbeauty/environment

other

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Figure 5: Maroochy's greatest weakness as a place to live

22%

19%

16%15%

11%

6%5% 6%

traffic congestion

growth rate

don't know / none

poor governance(decision making)town planning

inadequate publictransportlow paying jobs/theeconomyothers

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Figure 7: Present Rating - Maroochy Shire as a Place to Live

37%

33%

24%

4% 2%better

worse

stayed the same

other

don't know

Respondents were first asked to rate whether Maroochy Shire had become a better place to live, worse place or stayed the same.

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2 - Community’s Vision – Where do we 2 - Community’s Vision – Where do we prefer to be in 2025?prefer to be in 2025?

Community Survey 2 (May 2004) Core Values – extent of agreement with key

statements about environment, leadership and the economy

Goals (6 Key Focus Areas e.g our natural environment)

Key initiatives – 24 key ideas were provided and the survey measured community perception about how important these were

Ongoing tracking of project awareness

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Key FindingsKey Findings

 Most Key Vision ideas were well supported by the community.

A large increase in community awareness about the project had occurred between November 2003 and May 2004 (20% awareness to 69% awareness)

 The community is not confident (cynical) about the vision becoming a reality or way of life in community governance.

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3 - Community’s Plan of Action – 3 - Community’s Plan of Action – How will we get there?How will we get there?

Community Survey 3 (November 2004)

Measured level of support for the 30 strategies developed by the M2025 Community Action Planning teams

Ongoing tracking of project awareness

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Key FindingsKey Findings

Generally very high % of support for the strategies. The highest recorded support was 94% for:

“Provide innovative solutions for our communities to reduce water and energy consumption levels”

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Confident Strategies can be achieved

34%

33%

23%

7% 3%Don't know

Confident

Not confident

Not confident at all

Very confident

Respondents were asked to provide the Maroochy 2025 Team with some feedback about how confident they were that the community vision would be achieved. They were asked how confident they were that the strategies they just rated could be achieved.

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Future Involvement in Implementing Strategies

41%

24%

17%

12% 4% 2% Important

Undecided

Crucial

Not very important

Quite unimportant

Don't know

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ConclusionsConclusions

For M2025: Provided information about how:

– the community deal with the future– to engage with communities about the

futureValidated all stages of the project ‘Defensible’ Community Engagement

program

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LearningsLearnings

Misunderstood science

Community/client education required about reliability issues.

Need to simplify the presentation of results to gain community confidence

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The Future – New ToolsThe Future – New Tools

Citzen/Community Juries

Resident Feedback Registers

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THANK YOU