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UK Guidelines for Public Consultation Surveys
The UK's Market Research Society (MRS) and Local Authorities Research Intelligence Association (LARIA) have launched new guidelines concerning the use of surveys during public consultation exercises. The guidance was developed in response to raised public concern.
Using Surveys for Consultations aims to help local authority staff with opinion surveys relating to local issues such as the provision of new services or planning proposals. It covers subjects from data protection and respondents' rights to 'hints and tips' for writing a clear and fair survey.
Rowland Lloyd, MRS Council Member and Chairman of the MRS Professional Standards Committee (PSC), says that 'Over recent years the MRS PSC has noticed an increase in concerns from the public about the way surveys are used in consultation exercises. We have worked closely with LARIA to identify why such projects are not being conducted as they should be. In the majority of cases it simply comes down to people not knowing what their legal and ethical responsibilities are... It's quite a complex science - and one where some simple guidance was clearly needed'.
David Karfoot, Head of Research and Communications at Hampshire County Council and LARIA Chairman, says his organisation always recommend local authority staff consult a research expert for advice: the new guidance helps LAs to do this, as well as running through survey design and management stages themselves. 'This way, when a local authority wants to justify the public need for a new bypass or increased policing, they have strong enough facts and figures to do the job'.
The guidance is available online at www.mrs.org.uk/standards/opinion.htm . LARIA, with a membership of c.1,000, is on the web at www.laria.gov.uk
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