Appendices
Process Steps:
- Determine overall draft types of questions and analysis needed.
- Review and sign-off questions with key stakeholders.
- Determine random versus self-select, sample size and population.
- Procure telephone numbers for phone surveying.
- Determine survey format (electronic versus written).
- Select and procure online survey tool.
- Create survey form.
- Input test survey questions.
- Send out test survey to colleagues for beta testing and feedback.
- Test analysis of survey results.
- Test download of survey results to project database.
- Create scripts for telephone surveyors.
- Create final survey in written and electronic forms.
- Train Surveyors.
- Collect random phone surveys.
- Audit survey collection.
- Input data into electronic tool.
- Cleanse data.
- Monitor and analyze results.
- Download final results to project database.
- Close survey.
Survey Sampling
· Based on discussion with CETF and UC Davis (Jim Fletcher) and Carolyn Ward, the
recommendation was to sample about 500 people in the five-county region.
· 3400 random phone numbers were purchased from SSI, corresponding to population
statistics for the county as it was recommended that with that number it would be possible to reach the
approximate sample number.
Electronic Survey Process
· The electronic survey format used was based on a 3rd party tool called “Survey Monkey” to
collect, analyze and download information.
· All of the phone surveys were manually into the online survey tool.
Surveying by Telephone
· Volunteers and in-kind resources helped call the candidates using scripts and answering on
paper input forms.
· Alternatively, the workgroups and listening sessions were used to get qualitative input.
Survey response rate.
· CSC contacted approximately 3400 candidates by phone, based on a statistical sampling
provides by Survey Sampling International (SSI).
· Many of the candidates did not answer the phone or choose to complete the survey so the final
sample size was 396, about 11% completion rate.
Survey Analysis
· All surveys were eventually input into the online tool for consolidation and analysis.
· The survey tool allowed continuous monitoring of responses and results. The tool also allowed
the full project team to enter into the survey for analysis, though the project team did not
widely use this option.
· The survey also allowed us to provide results online for public access. Only the consolidated
results were visible, demographics and comments were not visible.
· Survey results were downloaded into the database discussed in the next section.
Templates and Examples
· An example of the survey is attached in the appendix.
· The results analysis is currently visible on the CSC website:
http://centralsierraconnect.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=85&Itemid=
72.
Process Wins, Loses, and Learnings
· The survey process engaged from the region. Some respondents asked if they could help out or continue to get further information.
· The phone surveyors were perceived positively since they were part of the community, but
were not professionally trained surveyors.
· The data cleansing was quite a tedious process, particularly for the data input and cleaning of
the open-ended questions.
· The survey was biased toward those who had telephones which may have missed some of the
more rural community members who are a critical part of this surveying.
Methodology Recommendations
· The online survey tool is an excellent choice for this type of survey, analysis and reporting.
· CSC highly recommends creating analysis and report samples before finalizing the survey.
