Local Government and Public Sector Reform
Research and evaluation has never been more important for local government in Scotland – the Scottish Government’s focus on ensuring that “all public services are high quality, continually improving and responsive to local people’s needs” combine with the demands of Single Outcome Agreements. But making sure the research delivers real value as management information requires a keen understanding of what research can, and cannot, do.
We work with clients to offer the most appropriate techniques to help them really get to grips with the attitudes, experiences and aspirations of those they serve. These approaches range from surveys (postal, face to face and telephone or online), to qualitative research among hard to reach groups, and innovative deliberative techniques to stimulate debate on complex issues – for example budget setting and service planning. Using these approaches, we have helped our clients answer important questions such as:
• Why were a council’s plans to transfer council housing stock rejected by tenants?
• What is the uptake of new digital media and what barriers lie in the path of widening the audience for online communication and service delivery?
• How do people feel about their local shopping area and how do perceptions change after a period of re-development?
• What do young people think of their area and what can be done to improve their access to facilities and services?
• How do Black and Minority Ethnic groups view their local councils and the services it provides?
Our work is not just among residents however; we have conducted research among a range of audiences with a stake in Scottish local government, including council members and officers, and the wider local government family (COSLA, SOLACE, Scottish Government etc).
Ultimately our aim is to usefully inform policy and strategy in the sector, while being mindful of the significant challenges our clients face in the current economic climate.
Below is a selection of the local government research we have recently undertaken. Details of our local authority staff research can be found elsewhere, on our ‘employee research’ page.
For more information, please contact Sara Davidson on 0131 220 5699.
Current Projects
Glasgow Household Survey 2011
Since 1999, Glasgow City Council has consulted with its residents through a twice yearly household survey. The survey is used to explore residents’ perceptions of services provided by the Council, as well as specific issues, such as crime, transport and recycling. The Council have commissioned Ipsos MORI to undertake a further set of household surveys in 2011.
Fieldwork for the first survey will be conducted in March and April 2011 and the second survey will take place in September and October 2011. For each survey, Ipsos MORI will interview a representative quota sample of 1,000 residents, aged 16 and over across the Glasgow City Council area. All interviews will be administered face-to-face in respondents’ homes.
For more information, please contact Sara Davidson on 0131 220 5699.
Local Authority Chief Executives and Finance Officers Survey 2011
Ipsos MORI will be conducting a survey of Scottish local authority senior decision makers in summer 2011.
Repeating the inaugural survey conducted in 2010, its aim is to help key organisations understand their reputation and the effectiveness of their relationships among Scottish local authorities. The specific objectives of the survey are to:
- identify anticipated areas for collaboration with public bodies and the private sector
- establish organisations best placed to collaborate with Scottish local authorities
- understand how judgments about organisations are made by senior decision makers
- measure the reputation of partner and competing organisations
- determine satisfaction with current relationships with key organisations
- understand how to improve perceptions of key organisations
- help organisations to improve services to better meet the needs of local authorities
- identify how key organisations could better communicate and engage with local authorities
Taking a multi-client approach, the cost of the survey is shared by participating clients, whose involvement and results are confidential. This approach provides independent, yet cost-effective, access to a difficult to reach audience.
Interviewing will take place in June and July 2011.
For more information, contact Robert Cumming
Review of the Shared Risk Assessment (SRA) process
The first round of Shared Risk Assessments have now taken place across all 32 local authorities in Scotland. Ipsos MORI Scotland has been commissioned by Audit Scotland, on behalf of the Accounts Commission, to undertake a review of the SRA process.
The overall aim of the review is to assess whether the aspirations set out for the process were realised in practice. Specific research objectives include examining the extent to which the process has:
• improved information sharing between the different scrutiny bodies
• fostered a common understanding of risk in each council
• resulted in scrutiny plans which are proportionate to risks identified and target scrutiny resources to areas of highest assessed risk
We will be conducting: an online survey of chief executives in Scottish local authorities; in-depth interviews with chief executives and national stakeholders; and workshops with staff from the different scrutiny bodies involved in the SRA process. Fieldwork will take place between August and September 2010.
For more information, please contact Mark Diffley or Sara Davidson