CHECKLIST 5.B – METHODS ACCORDING TO KEY QUESTIONS

The answers to the following questions will also help guide you to choosing the right method:

Do you need your response to be representative?
Do you need to get a response from as many people as possible?
Is the issue complex?
Do you need to include groups that are often excluded?
Do you need to review or improve your service or test new approaches?
Do you need to have a dialogue with the same people?
Do you want to use more interactive methods?
Do you want to find out about a geographical area?

Do you need your response to be representative?

• Representative Focus Groups
• SIMALTO
• Face to Face Survey
• Postal Survey  
• Citizens Panel
• Telephone Survey

Do you need to get a response from as many people as possible?

• Planning for Real Event
• Community Profiling / Community Auditing
• Community Visioning
• Large scale community event
• Open Space event
• Future Search Conference
• Youth Council
• Youth Parliament and Cabinet
• Youthink event
• User Forums and Networks
• School Councils
• Referenda / Deliberative Polling
• Open / Public meeting
• Face to Face Survey
• Web Forum
• Text Poll / WAP / SMS
• Citizens Panel
• Postal Survey
• Telephone Survey
• Electronic Survey / Web Survey
• Radio Phone In
• Exhibitions and Presentations
• Paid for advertising
• Media
• Leaflets with response form
• Onsite Survey

Is the issue complex?

• Users as decision makers on committees / panels
• Planning for Real Event
• Community Profiling / Community Auditing
• Community Visioning
• Large scale community event
• Future Search Conference
• Nominal Group Technique
• Scrutiny exercise
• Policy Conference
• Citizens Juries
• In-depth interviews
• Youthink event
• Video and Photography
• Electronic Voting
• User Forums and Networks
• School Councils
• Focus Groups
• Simulations
• Democ’s Game
• Arts and Creative Consultation
• Area Forums
• Open / Public meeting
• Face to Face Survey
• Exhibitions and Presentations
• Paid for advertising
• Media
• Leaflets
• Budget Simulator

Do you need to include groups that are often excluded?

(Go to Engaging Everyone for methods for specific groups)

• Involve Community Organisations
• Users as decision makers on committees / panels
• Planning for Real Event
• Community Profiling / Community Auditing
• Community Visioning
• Large scale community event
• Open Space event
• Future Search Conference
• Citizens Juries
• In-depth interviews
• Youth Council
• Youth Parliament and Cabinet
• Youthink event
• Video and Photography
• Electronic Voting
• User Forums and Networks
• School Councils
• Focus Groups
• Simulations
• Arts and Creative Consultation
• Opinion Poles
• Mad, Sad and Glad Boards
• Area Forums
• Open / Public meeting
• Face to Face Survey
• Electronic Survey / Web Survey
• Telephone Conferencing
• Web Forum
• Text Poll / WAP / SMS
• Telephone Survey
• Radio Phone In
• Exhibitions and Presentations
• Paid for advertising
• Media
• Leaflets
• Conjoint Analysis

Do you need to review or improve your service or test new approaches?

• Users as decision makers on committees / panels
• Planning for Real Event
• Open Space event
• Future Search Conference
• Nominal Group Technique
• Scrutiny exercise
• Policy Conference
• Citizens Juries
• In-depth interviews
• Youth Council
• Youth Parliament and Cabinet
• Youthink event
• Video and Photography
• Electronic Voting
• User Forums and Networks
• School Councils
• Focus Groups (User and Non User)
• Simulations
• SIMALTO
• Arts and Creative Consultation
• Opinion Poles
• Mad, Sad and Glad Boards
• Area Forums
• Open / Public meeting
• Face to Face Survey
• Telephone Conferencing
• Web Forum
• Text Poll / WAP / SMS
• Citizens Panel
• Postal Survey
• Telephone Survey
• Electronic Survey / Web Survey
• Quality Check phone calls
• Mystery shopper/ observation
• Compliments, comments and complaints
• Exhibitions and Presentations
• Paid for advertising
• Media
• Leaflets
• Conjoint Analysis

Do you need to have a dialogue with the same people?

• Users as decision makers on committees / panels
• In-depth interviews
• Youth Council
• Youth Parliament and Cabinet
• Electronic Voting
• User Forums and Networks
• School Councils
• Focus Groups (Representative)
• Face to Face Survey
• Telephone Conferencing
• Web Forum – dedicated to specific issue
• Text Poll / WAP / SMS
• Citizens Panel
• Telephone Survey

Do you want to use more interactive methods?

• Users as decision makers on committees / panels
• Planning for Real Event
• Community Health Check
• Community Profiling / Community Auditing
• Community Visioning
• Large scale community event
• Open Space event
• Future Search Conference
• Nominal Group Technique
• Scrutiny exercise
• Policy Conference
• Citizens Juries
• In-depth interviews
• Youthink event
• Video and Photography
• Electronic Voting
• User Forums and Networks
• School Councils
• Focus Groups
• Simulations
• SIMALTO
• Democ’s Game
• Arts and Creative Consultation
• Opinion Poles
• Mad, Sad and Glad Boards
• Area Forums
• Open / Public meeting – combined with e.voting, mad sad and glad.
• Face to Face Survey
• Telephone Conferencing
• Web Forum
• Text Poll / WAP / SMS
• Telephone Survey
• Electronic Survey / Web Survey
• Quality Check phone calls
• Radio Phone In
• Exhibitions and Presentations
• Conjoint Analysis

Do you want to find out about a geographical area?

• Planning for Real Event
• Community Health Check
• Developing Parish Plans
• Community Profiling / Community Auditing
• Community Visioning
• Large scale community event
• Open Space event
• Future Search Conference
• Nominal Group Technique
• Youthink event
• Video and Photography
• School Councils
• Focus Groups
• Simulations
• Arts and Creative Consultation
• Opinion Poles
• Mad, Sad and Glad Boards
• Area Forums
• Open / Public meeting
• Face to Face Survey
• Mystery shopper/ observation
• Exhibitions and Presentations
• Paid for advertising
• Media
• Leaflets
• Reports