SMRC conduct public and private consultation projects for local authorities and other public sector bodies:

Business Surveys       Residents Surveys       Discovery Research       New Service Evaluation

"Involving the public in the work of government has become an integral part of the policy-making process.  It is not simply about more open-government, although that too is important, it is about making policies more effective by listening to and taking on-board the views of the public and interested groups" 

Cabinet Office Website

Business Surveys

• Surveys amongst local businesses to measure performance, provide input to planning and address concerns and issues – eg. via postal, email, or telephone surveys
• Allows local councils to get feedback on proposals that may directly affect local businesses
• Surveys conducted regularly (eg. annually) to give tracking data over time

“SMRC have provided us with regular statistical information about trends in our local economy, and feedback on topical issues, that have proved invaluable for planning our business support activities within Broadland”
Jacqui Raines – Broadland District Council

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Residents Surveys

• Interviews with local residents to measure satisfaction with service, and gain input into budget allocation – face-to-face, postal, telephone
• Regular surveys (quarterly to annually) allow satisfaction to be measured over time, and can monitor the effect of varying budgets and expenditure
• Typical sample size – 300 to 600 residents per District

“Our annual residents’ survey has been undertaken by SMRC a number of times, and each time they have delivered timely, accurate results”
Tim Mobbs – South Norfolk District Council

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Discovery Research

• To reduce the uncertainty relating to proposed investments and developments by evaluating the views of local residents and businesses
• Postal or face-to-face doorstep interviews with those in the development area
• Qualitative discussion groups with key stakeholders allow local residents to air their views
• Data can be used to support the evaluation of demand versus expenditure

“It was important to us to know how the local community were reacting to the new developments in the town - SMRC helped us to achieve this by consulting local businesses, residents, young people and hard to reach groups”
Paul Moss – Waveney Sunrise Scheme

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New Service Evaluation

• To measure progress and success of new services by talking to residents living in locations where a service is provided versus those living in control areas – face-to-face, telephone
• Enables actual measurement of service benefits by benchmarking against similar locations with no service provision

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