1. Conducting Concerns Surveys

2. What is a concerns survey?
A survey in which citizens identify the most important issues facing their community. 2

3. Results can then be used to:
help form strategies to deal with community problems
maintain things that work
rally the community around a cause
build consensus 3

4. Why conduct a concerns survey?
You should start off with people's concerns
It involves community members in the decision-making process early on
It's a useful source of information for initiatives, funders, and participants
It's easy to do
It helps set the work agenda
It builds consensus 4

5. As many local people as possible!
Who should you survey?
As many local people as possible! 5

6. How to prepare a concerns survey:
Consider budget & resources
Put together a working group to design the survey
Invite selected decision makers to submit additional survey items
Prepare a 30-item survey with additional demographic info 6

7. How to prepare a concerns survey (cont.):
For every selected issue ask:
how important the issue is to citizens?
how satisfied citizens are with community efforts on the issue? 7

8. Distributing a concerns survey
Direct mail is most common.
Other methods:
Drop boxes
Media distribution
Convenience sampling
Group administration
Door-to-door canvassing
You may also want to consider using multiple methods of distribution 8

9. Collecting the surveys:
Gather incoming surveys collected at participating sites
Review returned surveys
Secure a larger return, if necessary 9

10. Analyzing and Compiling the Results:
Average the importance & satisfaction for each item
Rank items according to the ones that have the highest percentages of importance
Strengths: high ratings in both importance and satisfaction
Problems: rated high in importance but low satisfaction 10

11. Analyzing and Compiling the Results:
Write up a brief report summarizing strengths, problems, and overall approval rating
Identify five to ten strengths and five to ten problems
Share the above information with your staff. 11

12. What next? Conduct a public meeting: Review main strengths & problems
Lead separate discussions on each issue
Afterwards, write a one-page narrative for each issue discussed 12

13. Prepare a concerns report
Should consist of:
Executive memo
Brief report
Data table
Discussion report
Demographic data & other displays
Suggestions on how to use the report in the planning process 13