Send a survey!…but do this first
Need to get information from a bunch of people? Send a survey!
Want to know what people thought about your program? Send a survey.
Want to measure change in behaviors and attitudes over time? You got it!...Send a survey!
Surveys are a tried and true way to assess, measure and gather information. They’re used up and down the business, nonprofit and social science world. Some survey questions are even validated - meaning there’s research to prove they work. But we’re going to let you in on a little secret.
Surveys are only as good as we make them.
Have you sent a survey, so excited to get it back, only to find…
The responses make no sense!
You asked so many questions, and yet … learned nothing useful.
You only needed to ask 2 questions but asked 30 instead.
Surveys rely on precious resources - relationships, time and energy. Relationships with our customers, clients, constituents. Our time to collect and analyze and our organization’s attention span to learn and absorb. So given that, how do we create surveys that work?
Use a Theory of Change to ground in what matters
To help create surveys that work, that yield meaningful results without burning out your recipients, the first place we start at Raya Cooper Impact Consulting is with our Theory of Change. (Read more about Theory of Change here). We can do this for the entire organization with a single project.
Clarify your purpose
There are many reasons to run a survey. Clarify why you are asking and how you will use the information.
Development- This type of survey collects meaningful information to shape a program, service offering or set a baseline. Focuses on the “What we do” and “Who we do it for”
Process & Experience - This type of of survey focuses on the “How” - assessing how well we’re creating the conditions for change. If we think that relationships are a major contributor to change, let’s assess how well we’re helping folks create those connections and relationships. If we think that education and resources are what’s needed, we might ask how well the resources are meeting needs
Change - This type of survey is to understand both what has changed and identify any contributing factors.
Map & Draft Questions
As you draft your questions, map them back to your purpose and the elements in your theory of change.
What you will end up with is
A survey that strategically ties back to what you care about
A structure for understanding your results
Questions that are so relevant, you’ll be able to use them over again with minor tweaks. AKA you’ll be able to compare and track change over time and groups
Uncover not only what is happening, but why
You can use this framework anytime you are creating a survey - no matter how big or small. By taking the time to pause and thinking critically before you dive into drafting questions, you will create tools that really work for you.
And of course, how we write questions matters a lot too. We want those to be well crafted - check out this book, and this book
Best of luck with your survey creation! And as always, we are here to help! Set up a consultation today!
