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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-01-07; Annual Resident Satisfaction Survey; Chadwick, ScottCity Manager’s Office City Hall 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive  Carlsbad, CA 92008  760-434-2820 t  www.carlsbadca.gov Memorandum Jan. 7, 2019 To: City Council From: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Re: Annual Resident Satisfaction Survey Community engagement and involving the public in civic decision making are hallmarks of great communities. In recent years, as technology and communication preferences have changed, the City of Carlsbad has begun to incorporate a wider array of community engagement tools, while continuing to use more traditional methods, such as the annual resident satisfaction survey. This memo will focus on the current state of our community engagement approach and how we are adapting the annual resident survey to best support that approach. Background City staff gather feedback from the community through a variety of methods, with the goal of getting as clear a picture as possible of current levels of satisfaction, areas of interest, priorities and concerns. Some of the recent and current tools include: •Annual resident satisfaction survey •Surveys – In person, online, telephone, mail and mobile •Public meetings and workshops •Focus groups •Online and mobile engagement platforms Since all methods have strengths and limitations, best practices recommend a mix of tools to obtain both qualitative (detailed and descriptive) and quantitative (statistically valid) input. To maximize participation and ensure the full range of voices are heard, staff strives to match the appropriate tools with the communities affected, the type of project or initiative, level of impact and a variety of other variables. In other words, our goal is to maintain a robust set of tools that can be combined and tailored to each public engagement opportunity. Annual Survey Since 2002, the City of Carlsbad has conducted an annual resident satisfaction survey to gauge community sentiment about a range of city services and issues. The survey is conducted by professional researchers and generates data that is statistically valid and representative of the entire adult population of Carlsbad, within a defined margin of error. Changes Considered Survey results for most metrics fluctuate just a few percentage points from year to year. For those measures where sentiment has changed, several years of data are required to identify Memo ID #2019002 City Council Jan. 7, 2019 Page 2 trends. For these reasons, in 2017, staff began to consider the following changes to the survey timing and approach to ensure it continues to provide the greatest value to the city: • Time of year: Move the survey to early summer so the results can be more easily considered in the city’s annual planning cycle (goal setting and budget development). • Frequency: Conduct the survey every two years to better identify trends in data, rather than focus on year over year fluctuations. • Election cycles: Conduct the survey in “off election” years so results are less likely to be influenced by local, state and national political campaigns. • Survey topics: Consider the survey as two parts: 1) Core metrics that are tested in every survey and 2) a portion reserved for special topics, chosen based on upcoming projects or initiatives. • Data collection methodology: As telephone response and cooperation rates continue to decline, add new methods of collecting data, while retaining the rigor needed to produce statistically valid results. • Overall engagement program: Determine how a citywide survey could best be integrated with a more comprehensive strategic community engagement program that takes advantage of new technologies and communication preferences. The 2017 survey began to incorporate these changes: • Reduced the number of core metrics being tested. • Focused the survey report around long term trends rather than small, year over year fluctuations in data. • Expanded the data collection methodology to include a broader mix of mobile phones and email. In 2018, the city focused on developing its community engagement strategy, with the goal of relaunching the resident satisfaction survey in mid-2019. This would put the survey schedule in a better time of year to help inform the city’s annual planning. Community Engagement Strategy The annual survey provides valuable feedback, but is just one part of a comprehensive strategy to ensure community input is understood and considered in city decision making. City staff are in the final stages of developing a framework that will enable the city to enhance its community engagement efforts, resulting in a more satisfying experience for the public and input that is more easily incorporated into city decision making. Elements of this strategy will include: • The ability to involve community members in a way that is most convenient and meaningful for them. • A consistent approach across all city departments to deciding how and when to involve the public, based on common principles and best practices. City Council Jan. 7, 2019 Page 3 • Increased transparency in the process so community members know how their input affected the decision. • A nimble and diverse set of engagement tools at the ready, including a robust digital platform. I anticipate sharing this comprehensive strategy with the City Council in early 2019. If you have specific ideas or questions before then, I would be happy to arrange a briefing with Chief Innovation Officer David Graham and Communication Manager Kristina Ray, who are heading up this effort.