2016 cowra shire council community survey -...
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2016 Cowra Shire Council
Community Survey - Services
Final Management Report
Prepared for
Prepared by IRIS Research Ltd
May 2016
I n s i g h t f o r
B u s i n e s s & G o v e r n m e n t
IRIS Research ABN 16 002 278 793 Level 1, iC Central, Innovation Campus, Squires Way, North Wollongong
Postal address: Northfields Ave, Wollongong NSW 2522. Telephone: (02) 4285 4446 Fax: (02) 4285 4448
Net: http://www.iris.org.au Email: [email protected]
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 2
Table of contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4
Background ................................................................................................................ 4
Study Objectives ........................................................................................................ 4
Attitude Measurement ................................................................................................ 5
Survey Response ....................................................................................................... 7
Survey Results .................................................................................................................... 8
Overall Performance ........................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Overall Performance ........................................................................................ 10
Council Services and Facilities ....................................................................................... 13
3.1 Satisfaction – Infrastructure .............................................................................. 14
3.2 Satisfaction – Community and Cultural Services & Facilities ........................... 16
3.3 Usage – Community and Cultural Services & Facilities .................................... 18
Prioritising Services and Facilities .................................................................................. 19
4.1 Quadrant Analysis ........................................................................................... 19
Staff and Councillor Performance ................................................................................... 23
5.1 Resident Contact with Council ......................................................................... 23
5.2 Contact Reason ............................................................................................... 24
5.3 Media Used to Contact Council ........................................................................ 25
5.4 Satisfaction with Council Staff Performance ..................................................... 26
5.5 Satisfaction with Councillor Performance ......................................................... 28
Council Communications and Media Usage ................................................................... 29
6.1 Resident Preferred Source of Council Information ........................................... 29
6.2 Resident Satisfaction with Council Communication ......................................... 30
Community Safety and Connectedness.......................................................................... 31
7.1 Perceptions of Safety and Community Connectedness.......................... 31
7.2 Volunteering ........................................................................................... 33
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 3
Strategic Planning ............................................................................................................ 34
8.1 Importance of Infrastructure ................................................................... 34
8.2 Importance of Infrastructure Renewal and Maintenance ........................ 36
8.3 Resident Willingness for Rate Increase - Infrastructure.......................... 38
8.4 Resident Perceptions of Council’s Planning ........................................... 39
Appendix 1 ......................................................................................................................... 40
9.1 ANOVA Tables ................................................................................................... 40
9.2 Methodology ....................................................................................................... 43
Sample Design ............................................................................................ 43
Data Collection ............................................................................................ 44
Response Performance ............................................................................... 44
Survey Accuracy .......................................................................................... 45
Disclaimer ………………………………………………………………………………….46
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 4
Introduction
Background
This study was commissioned by Cowra Shire Council with the intention of monitoring
community satisfaction with the delivery of services provided by Cowra Shire Council.
The goal of the study was to measure Cowra Shire Council’s performance and provide
up-to-date insights into perceptions of service delivery, as well as uncovering community
issues of importance. The survey is designed to provide a high-level community view of
the performance of council services to assist the council in identifying service priorities
for review and improvement.
This survey was conducted on the IRIS Computer- Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI)
system during May 2016. To qualify for an interview, respondents had to have been a
resident in the Cowra Shire Council area for at least the last 6 months and aged 18 or
older.
Study Objectives
The objectives for the community survey process were to:
Measure the satisfaction with services and facilities provided by Cowra Shire
Council;
Assist Cowra Shire Council by identifying the priority issues for the community;
Identify key drivers of resident dissatisfaction;
Measure resident satisfaction with staff and councilor performance
Identify preferred communications methods
Assess perceptions of community safety and connectedness
Evaluate Council’s strategic planning and willingness to fund an infrastructure
rates increase
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 5
Attitude Measurement
In the first section of the questionnaire, a series of 18 Council services and facilities were
read out to respondents. For each, respondents were asked to give a satisfaction rating.
Results from these ratings form the basis of much of the analysis in this report. The
satisfaction, importance and agreement rating scales used in the questionnaire are
exhibited below:
Satisfaction scale Importance scale Agreement scale 1 = Very dissatisfied 1 = Not at all important 1 = Strongly disagree 2 … 2 … 2 … 3 … 3 … 3 … 4 … 4 … 4 … 5 = Very satisfied 5 = Very important. 5 = Strongly agree 6 = Can’t say 6 = Can’t say 6 = Can’t say
For all rating scales, those respondents who could not provide a rating, either because
the question did not apply to them or they had no opinion, were entered as a ‘Can’t Say’
or a rating of 6. Rating scale results have generally been presented in two basic forms.
Firstly, the results have been presented in terms of the proportion (%) of respondents
giving a particular rating for a specific service or facility. These results are presented in
full and in collapsed category tables, where proportions have been assigned to one of
the following categories:
Table 1.3.1: Collapsed rating scores
Can’t say
Low
agreement /
satisfaction /
importance
Medium
agreement /
satisfaction/
importance
High
agreement /
satisfaction/
importance
Rating score given 6 1 & 2 3 4 & 5
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 6
Secondly, the numeric values recorded for each attribute have been converted into an
overall mean score out of five. To derive the mean score for an attribute, all
respondents’ answers are 'averaged' to produce an overall rating that conveniently
expresses the result of scale items in a single numeric figure. This makes data
interpretation considerably easier when comparing multiple services and facilities. The
mean score excludes those respondents who could not give a valid rating (i.e. 'Can't
Say').
Given that IRIS Research undertakes many community surveys such as this, we are
able to benchmark mean scores. As such, mean importance and satisfaction scores can
be further classified as being a 1 star, 2 star or 3 star score based on this experience.
Table 1.3.2 highlights the mean classifications.
Table 1.3.2: Classification of mean scores
Mean satisfaction scores
0 – 2.99 1 Star
3.00 – 3.74 2 Star
3.75 – 5.00 3 Star
Mean importance scores
0 – 2.99 1 Star
3.00 – 3.99 2 Star
4.00 – 5.00 3 Star
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 7
Survey Response
A total of 306 interviews were conducted with residents from the Cowra Shire Local
Government Area (LGA). Strict sampling procedures ensured that characteristics of
selected respondents mirror those of the overall adult population of the area. Table
1.4.1 displays the sample characteristics for selected demographic variables. For a
detailed description of the survey methodology refer to the Appendix.
Table 1.4.1: Sample Respondent Characteristics
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 8
Survey Results
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 9
Overall Performance
This section presents the overall satisfaction levels amongst residents towards Cowra
Shire Council as an organisation.
Residents were asked to rate their overall level of satisfaction with Council on a scale of
1 to 5, where 1 = ‘Very dissatisfied’ and 5 = ‘Very Satisfied’. These ratings are also
presented ‘collapsed’ where ‘Low’ = 1 and 2, ‘Medium’ = 3 and ‘High’ = 4 and 5. The
Appendix contains three tables summarising all mean scores and breaks each result
down by demographics to identify statistically significant differences.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 10
2.1 Overall Performance
To gauge the overall performance of Council, residents were asked to rate their level of
overall satisfaction with Cowra Shire Council as an organisation.
Table 2.1.1: Distribution of Overall Satisfaction Ratings
Table 2.1.2: Distribution of Overall Satisfaction Ratings - Collapsed
Mean score 3.8 out of 5
Mean score 3.8 out of 5
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 11
Key Results:
Cowra Shire Council received an overall mean satisfaction score of 3.8 out of 5
which is a 3 star category ranking.
In terms or proportions 64% of residents gave a high level of satisfaction, 25%
gave a medium level of satisfaction and only 11% rated Council in the low level of
satisfaction.
Residents that have lived in the LGA greater than 10 years have a higher level of
satisfaction than those that have lived in the area less than 10 years.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 12
Table 2.1.3 below summarises the reason why residents gave the rating they did for
Council's overall performance.
Table 2.1.3: Reason for Satisfaction Rating (%)
Table 2.1.4: Reason for Satisfaction Rating by Level of Satisfaction (%)
2.2
2.2
2.5
4.4
5.5
7.3
7.6
8
60.4
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Wasting money
Rates_expenses
Waste removal
Upgrade_maintain facilities/services
Unhappy with council
Roads/parking issue/signage
Attracting businesses
Interact with residents
Happy with council
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 13
Council Services and Facilities
This section presents the satisfaction levels amongst residents towards 18 key services
and facilities provided by Cowra Shire Council.
Residents were asked to rate the satisfaction of each of the 18 Council services and
facilities on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = ‘Very dissatisfied’ and 5 = ‘Very Satisfied’.
These ratings are also presented ‘collapsed’ where ‘Low’ = 1 and 2, ‘Medium’ = 3 and
‘High’ = 4 and 5. The Appendix contains three tables summarising all mean scores and
breaks each result down by demographics to identify statistically significant differences.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 14
3.1 Satisfaction – Infrastructure
Table 3.1.1: Infrastructure – Satisfaction
Table 3.1.2 Infrastructure – Satisfaction - Collapsed
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 15
Key Results:
Mean satisfaction scores for the nine items under the heading of infrastructure
ranged from a relative high of 4.3 out of 5 for ‘provision of waste management
facilities’ through to 3.0 out of 5 for ‘the condition of rural road surfaces’.
Four services and facilities in the infrastructure category achieved a three-star
rating with means scores achieving a satisfaction rating above 3.75. These items
were ‘waste facilities’, ‘recreational areas’, ‘street and directional signage’ and
‘sewerage services’.
The remaining four services and facilities were 2 star rated services and these
were ‘footpaths’, ‘water services’, ‘urban roads’ and ‘rural roads’.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 16
3.2 Satisfaction – Community and Cultural Services & Facilities
Table 3.1.1: Community & Cultural Services & Facilities – Satisfaction
Table 3.1.2: Community & Cultural Services & Facilities – Satisfaction – Collapsed
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 17
Key Results:
For the ten items under the category of satisfaction with Community & Cultural
Services & Facilities mean satisfaction scores ranged from a relative high of 4.5
out of 5 for ‘parks and gardens’ through to 3.8 out of 5 for ‘Cowra civic centre’.
All ten items in this category achieved a three star rating with all means scores
achieving a satisfaction rating above 3.75.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 18
3.3 Usage – Community and Cultural Services & Facilities
Table 3.1.1: Community & Cultural Services & Facilities – Usage
Key Results:
A majority of residents have used five of the nine community and cultural
services and facilities in the last 12 months.
The most frequently used are parks and gardens followed by sporting fields and
amenities with 44% and 38% of residents using them respectively.
The Cowra peace precinct and the festival of international understanding are also
well patronised.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 19
Prioritising Services and Facilities
Given the range of services and facilities Cowra Shire Council has to manage, it can
often be a difficult task to prioritise. The sheer number of services and facilities under
management can diffuse focus and distract attention away from the areas of critical
importance to improving resident satisfaction. This section of the report aims to identify
the key drivers of resident satisfaction via a deeper analysis of the satisfaction scores
presented in the previous section.
4.1 Quadrant Analysis
Quadrant analysis is a useful way of simultaneously analysing the derived importance a
service holds for residents against their satisfaction with the provision of that service. To
do this, mean satisfaction scores are plotted against derived importance scores for each
Council service or facility. In order to form the quadrants (or opportunity matrix) that
separate higher and lower level priority services combined mean importance and
satisfaction scores were calculated for the entire set of 18 Council services and facilities.
These scores were: Importance score = 4.0 and Satisfaction score = 4.0. Thus, for
example, services or facilities with a mean importance score of less than 4.0 (i.e. a score
lower than the overall mean derived importance score), were classified as having ‘lower’
importance. Conversely, services or facilities with a mean score above 4.0 were
classified as having ‘higher’ importance. The results of the quadrant analysis are
displayed in Chart and Table 4.1.1.
Each of the four quadrants has a specific interpretation:
1. The upper right quadrant (higher importance and higher satisfaction) represents
current Council service strengths.
2. The upper left quadrant (higher importance but relatively lower satisfaction) denotes
services where satisfaction should be improved.
3. The lower left quadrant (relatively lower importance and relatively lower satisfaction)
represents lower priority services.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 20
4. The lower right quadrant (relatively lower importance and higher satisfaction) is often
interpreted as representing ‘overkill’ services where effort exceeds expectations.
The attributes in the upper left quadrant are all candidates for immediate attention.
Residents placed a higher importance on these attributes but also reported relatively
lower satisfaction.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 21
Chart 4.1.1: Quadrant analysis for all services and facilities
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 22
Table 4.1.1: Opportunities Matrix for Council Services and Facilities
2. HIGHER IMPORTANCE 1. HIGHER IMPORTANCE
LOWER SATISFACTION HIGHER SATISFACTION
The condition of urban road surfaces The Festival of International Understanding
The condition of rural road surfaces The provision of waste management (garbage and recycling) facilities
The provision of footpaths The overall appearance of the Cowra region
Indigenous cultural activities (e.g. NAIDOC Week) The provision of sewer services
3. HIGHER IMPORTANCE 4. HIGHER IMPORTANCE
LOWER SATISFACTION HIGHER SATISFACTION
Cowra Civic Centre Recreational areas along Lachlan River
The quality of water services Cowra Regional Art Gallery
Cowra Regional Library
Cowra Peace Precinct (inc. POW Campsite)
Cowra Aquatic Centre
Parks and gardens
Sporting fields and sporting amenities
Provision of appropriate street or directional signage
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 23
Staff and Councillor Performance
5.1 Resident Contact with Council
“How many times have you contacted Council in the past 12 months?”
Table 5.1.1: Frequency of contact with Council
Key Results:
Overall 57% of residents indicated they have contacted Council in the past 12
months, with 13% contacting council more than 10 times.
43% of residents have not contacted council
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 24
5.2 Contact Reason
Residents who could recall having contact with Council staff were then asked a further
question relating to how the resident contacted Council.
“Over the past 12 month, what have you contacted council about?”
Table 5.2.1: Main reason for contacting council
Key Results:
The most common reason for contacting council was in regards to water (23%)
and rates (22%).
Around half of contact was for other reasons. The key themes found in other
included footpaths, trees and sewer.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 25
5.3 Media Used to Contact Council
“On the most recent occasion you contacted Council, how did you make
contact?”
Table 3.3.1: Media Used to contact Council
Key Results:
The most common method to contact council was via the phone with 62% of
residents using this method.
31% of residents visited council premises on the most recent occasion.
Other modes of contact such as email, fax/letter and the internet were used by
less than 3% of residents.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 26
5.4 Satisfaction with Council Staff Performance
After asking about their interaction with Council staff, those respondents who had
contact with a Council employee were asked the following question:
“..how would you rate Council’s staff performance in dealing with your
enquiry?”
Table 5.4.1: Satisfaction with Council Staff Performance
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 27
Table 5.4.2: Satisfaction with Council Staff Performance - Collapsed
Key Results:
Mean satisfaction scores ranged from 4.5 out of 5 for courteous to 4.2 out of 5 for
prompt.
All four staff performance measurement items fell into the three star rating with
over 75% of residents providing a high satisfaction rating for each item.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 28
5.5 Satisfaction with Councillor Performance
All respondents were asked the following question about Council’s elected representatives.
“How satisfied are you with the overall performance of Councillors?”
Table 5.5.1: Councillor Performance – Satisfaction
Key Results:
Residents rated the overall satisfaction with the performance of Councillors as
3.5 out of 5. This result fits within a two star rated performance.
In terms of proportions 54% gave a high satisfaction rating, 25% gave a medium
rating whilst only 15% gave a low rating.
Mean score 3.5 out of 5 54% high satisfaction 25% medium satisfaction 15% low satisfaction
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 29
Council Communications and Media Usage
6.1 Resident Preferred Source of Council Information
“What is your preferred source of information on Council services and
activities?”
Table 6.1.1: Preferred Media Source (%)
Key Results:
The most preferred media source was the local media (papers, radio and TV)
60%.
This was followed by pamphlet or letter box drop (38%) and the quarterly
newsletter (28%).
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 30
6.2 Resident Satisfaction with Council Communication
“How satisfied are you with the way Council communicates with you?”
Table 6.2.1: Council Communication with Residents – Satisfaction
Key Results:
Overall 63% of residents rated a high level of satisfaction with the way council
communicates.
This was a mean score of 3.7 out of 5 which is on the cusp of a three star rated
level of satisfaction.
Mean score 3.7 out of 5 63% high satisfaction 24% medium satisfaction 11% low satisfaction
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 31
Community Safety and Connectedness
The survey also sought to explore perceptions of safety, social connection and community pride amongst Cowra Shires’ residents. Residents were asked the following question and presented with ten attitude statements:
7.1 Perceptions of Safety and Community Connectedness
“The next section is about your neighbourhood as a place to live. How
much do you agree with each of the following statements?”
Table 7.1.1: Perceptions of safety and connection – Agreement
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 32
Table 7.1.2: Perceptions of safety and connection – Agreement - Collapsed
Key Results:
Ten items were used to measure community safety and connectedness. Scores
ranged from a relative high of 4.6 out of 5 for ‘I can call on a neighbour or local
relative if I need assistance’ through to 4.0 out of 5 for ‘I make a contribution to
the community I live in’.
All ten items are rated as three star items, indicated a high level of community
connectedness and feelings of safety.
Significantly over 70% of residents gave a high agreement level rating for all ten
items measured.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 33
7.2 Volunteering
“Are you a member of any of the following types of local volunteer or social
groups?”
Table 7.1.1: Volunteering (%)
Key Results:
The most popular social group membership or volunteer is with community
groups (33%) and sporting groups (29%). Around 1 in 4 residents are a member
or volunteer at a Church or school group.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 34
Strategic Planning
The survey also sought to explore perceptions of safety, social connection and community pride amongst Cowra Shires’ residents. Residents were asked the following question and presented with ten attitude statements:
8.1 Importance of Infrastructure
“Could you please indicate how important the following types of services
and infrastructure are to you”
Table 8.1.1: Infrastructure – Importance
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 35
Table 8.1.1: Infrastructure – Importance - Collapsed
Key Results:
Mean importance scores for local infrastructure ranged from a high of 4.6 for
roads through to 4.1 for cultural facilities.
All nine infrastructure items are rated as three star importance with all mean
scores being greater than 4.0 out of 5.
The items of roads, supporting business and waste management were rated by
over 90% of residents as being of high importance to them.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 36
8.2 Importance of Infrastructure Renewal and Maintenance
“How important is it for Council to renew and maintain each type of
services and infrastructure at an acceptable level?”
Table 8.2.1: Infrastructure renewal and maintenance – Importance
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 37
Table 8.2.2: Infrastructure renewal and maintenance – Importance - Collapsed
Key Results:
Overall a very high importance was attached to residents’ belief that council
renew and maintain each of the nine categories of infrastructure measured.
Mean importance scores ranged from 4.7 for water infrastructure through to 4.3
for cultural facilities.
Again all nine items rated as being in the three star importance classification with
over 90% of residents rating seven of the nine items as being of high importance.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 38
8.3 Resident Willingness for Rate Increase - Infrastructure
“Would you consider paying higher rates to direct towards any of these
priorities?”
Table 8.3.1: Willingness to fund infrastructure (%)
Key Results:
When asked 40% of residents agreed they would be willing to pay higher rates to
direct towards any of the priorities measured.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 39
8.4 Resident Perceptions of Council’s Planning
“How much do you agree with the following statement? Cowra Shire Council plans well for the region’s future”
Table 8.4.1: Perceptions of Council Planning - Agreement (%)
Key Results:
43% of residents agreed that Cowra shire council plans well for the region’s
future. This converted into a mean agreement score of 3.3 out of 5 which is a
two star level of agreement.
Mean score 3.3 out of 5 43% high agreement 33% medium agreement 23% low agreement
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 40
Appendix 1
9.1 ANOVA Tables
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 41
ANOVA – SATISFACTION INFRASTRUCTURE
ANOVA – SATISFACTION COMMUNITY CULTURAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES
Male Female 18-49 50-64 65+ <= 5 yrs 6 to 10 yrs 10+ yrs Overall
The condition of urban road surfaces 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.8 2.9 3.4 3.4
The condition of rural road surfaces 3.1 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.3 3.0 2.6 3.0 3.0
Provision of appropriate street or directional signage4.2 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.2 4.0 4.1 4.1 4.1
The provision of footpaths 3.8 3.4 3.8 3.6 3.4 2.7 3.8 3.6 3.6
The quality of water services 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.9 3.4 2.7 3.6 3.5
The provision of sewer services 4.1 4.0 3.9 4.4 4.0 4.0 3.6 4.1 4.1
The provision of waste management (garbage and recycling) facilities4.2 4.3 4.4 4.0 4.4 4.5 4.0 4.3 4.3
Recreational areas along Lachlan River 4.1 4.0 3.8 4.1 4.5 4.4 4.1 4.1 4.1
Male Female 18-49 50-64 65+ <= 5 yrs 6 to 10 yrs 10+ yrs Overall
Cowra Civic Centre 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.5 3.9 4.3 3.9 3.8 3.8
Cowra Regional Art Gallery 4.0 4.3 4.0 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.1 4.2 4.2
Cowra Regional Library 4.2 4.2 4.0 4.2 4.5 4.6 4.3 4.2 4.2
Cowra Peace Precinct (inc. POW Campsite) 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.0 4.3 4.4 3.8 4.2 4.2
Cowra Aquatic Centre 4.1 4.3 4.2 4.1 4.2 4.2 3.6 4.3 4.2
Parks and gardens 4.5 4.6 4.6 4.4 4.6 4.7 4.3 4.6 4.5
Sporting fields and sporting amenities 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.7 4.3 4.5 4.5
Indigenous cultural activities (e.g. NAIDOC Week) 3.9 4.0 3.9 3.9 4.0 3.6 4.2 3.9 3.9
The Festival of International Understanding 4.0 4.1 4.3 3.8 4.1 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.1
The overall appearance of the Cowra region 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.1 4.4 4.0 3.9 4.3 4.3
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 42
ANOVA – SATISFACTION
ANOVA – SATISFACTION COMMUNITY SAFETY AND CONNECTEDNESS
Male Female 18-49 50-64 65+ <= 5 yrs6 to 10 yrs 10+ yrs Overall
Satisfaction with the way Council communicates 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.8 2.8 3.1 3.8 3.7
Satisfaction with the overall performance of Councillors 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.3 2.6 3.6 3.5
Overall satisfaction with Council 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.5 3.8 3.7 2.9 3.8 3.8
Male Female 18-49 50-64 65+ <= 5 yrs6 to 10 yrs 10+ yrs Overall
I feel safe in my own home 4.6 4.4 4.6 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.0 4.6 4.5
I feel safe walking around my neighbourhood 4.5 4.3 4.6 4.3 4.4 4.6 4.1 4.5 4.4
I can call on a neighbour or local relative if I need assistance4.7 4.6 4.8 4.5 4.5 4.3 4.5 4.7 4.6
I feel I belong to the community I live in 4.4 4.4 4.6 4.3 4.3 4.5 4.1 4.4 4.4
My neighbourhood is a friendly place to live. 4.5 4.4 4.6 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.1 4.5 4.5
I make a contribution to the community I live in 3.9 4.2 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.3 4.2 4.0 4.0
I mainly socialise in my local area 4.0 4.2 4.3 3.9 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.1 4.1
I feel Cowra Shire has a strong sense of community 4.1 4.2 4.3 3.9 4.2 4.0 3.8 4.2 4.2
People in Cowra are generally proud of their area. 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.0 4.3 4.6 3.8 4.2 4.1
I would recommend the Cowra region to others as a good place to live4.2 4.4 4.3 4.2 4.5 4.7 3.9 4.3 4.3
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 43
9.2 Methodology
Sample Design
A telephone-based survey aiming to secure a response from approximately 300
residents from throughout the Cowra Shire LGA was used. The survey unit was
permanent residents of the Cowra Shire Local Government Area who had lived there for
6 months or longer. Respondents also had to be aged 18 years or older to qualify for an
interview. The 2011 Census was used to establish quotas to ensure a good distribution
of responses by age and sex.
The sample base for the survey was the electronic White Pages. This sample is known
to be sub optimal, as the churn of telephone numbers due to people moving and new
numbers being added as dwellings are occupied affects about 12% to 15% of possible
numbers. Furthermore, from previous research we know that the proportion of silent
numbers is increasing and can be as high as 25-30% in some areas. To deal with these
issues, IRIS Research uses a technique that starts with the population of numbers listed
in the telephone book and adds new and unlisted numbers using the ‘half open’ method.
In this method, all numbers were incremented by five to create new numbers in the
‘gaps’ between the listed numbers. The resultant universe of numbers was then de-
duplicated to remove any numbers that may be repeated. This process was replicated
five times to create a new theoretical universe of telephone numbers. This provided the
opportunity for all potential numbers to be selected in the sample. This equal and known
opportunity for selection is the first criterion of good random sampling.
Once the potential universe of numbers had been generated, a computer program was
used to randomise the database. Following this, a sequential sample (e.g. every 110th
number) was extracted from the database. The sample was geographically stratified and
evenly distributed within strata. This process gave a very even distribution of potential
numbers across the whole survey area. Every household therefore had an equal and
known chance of selection and every part of the survey area received a fair proportional
representation in the final sample drawn.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 44
Data Collection
Interviews were conducted over two evenings on the 14th and 16th May, 2016. Calls were
made between 4.30 and 8.30 p.m. If the selected person was unavailable at that time to
do the survey, call-backs were scheduled for a later time or day. Unanswered numbers
were retried three times throughout the period of the survey. These procedures ensure a
good sampling process from the sample frame used so that statistical inferences could
be made about the entire resident population.
Non-private numbers and faxes reached during the selection process were excluded
from the sample.
The survey was implemented under IQCA quality guidelines. Interviews were conducted
using our Computer-Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system. Continuous
interviewer monitoring was used and post interview validations were conducted within
five days of the close of the survey.
Response Performance
At the end of the survey period, 306 completed interviews had been collected. The table
below shows the compliance rate achieved for the entire sample. The compliance rate is
the number of refusals as a proportion of completed surveys plus refusals. A compliance
rate of 66% is a good result.
Table 8.4.1 Survey compliance rate
Response sequence Outcome
Interviews 306 Refusals 157 Valid contacts (Excludes disqualified – businesses, out of area, under 18yrs etc.) 463
Compliance rate 66%
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 45
Survey Accuracy
When analysing results for the entire sample, the maximum error rate will be about
±5.7% at the 95% confidence level, assuming a proportional response of 50%. Put
another way, we can be confident that if the survey were to be repeated there would be
a 95% chance that the new result would lie within ±5.7% of the result achieved in this
survey.
2016 Cowra Shire Council Community Survey – Services - Management Report page 46
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