The use of online methods

NWA has considerable experience of carrying out research and consultation online. Increasingly, at a time of severe budget constraints, online consultation has become the preferred methodology for involving and engaging the public. The Government has recently endorsed the use of online methods, and also Social Media, as part of their commitment to the 'Big Society' and gaining 'locality' based views from residents to help both Public and Private Sector providers plan and prioritise the services they deliver.

Advantages of online research and consultation:

Cheaper to manage (no requirement for printing/ postage, data entry, etc.)
Greater appeal to younger demographics - often seen as 'hard to reach' by other methodologies
Many people more comfortable expressing views online - surveys are easy to use and attractive
Faster turnaround to topline results - can also build in automatic charting and reporting for repeat surveys
Minimum data entry errors
Environmentally friendly
Repeat surveys (add to existing structure).

NWA offers a range of online services including emailed self-completion questionnaires which are sent to a recruited panel and can be readily completed and submitted at the click of a button; similarly, questionnaires attached to Clients' or the NWA websites which are open to the general public to complete and submit. In environments where staff have a high level of access to the Internet or an intranet, such as Local Authorities and the Health Services, frequently staff surveys are also electronically based.

Concensus eConsultation Platform

A recent development is that of the Concensus eConsultation Platform which had been developed with our partner Gencia, a creative prize-winning agency noted for their design of business critical software solutions in both the Public and Private Sectors.

Utilising NWA Social Research's public consultation expertise built up over 20 years the Consensus eConsultation Platform provides an effective and innovative way to involve more of the community in public consultation in an easily accessible, modern, interactive and auditable way. The system delivers a range of online consultation services - surveys, facilitated notice boards, online focus groups, access to Social Media monitoring - to both a recruited community of users and also can provide access to members of the public.

Advantages of the Consensus eConsultation Platform:

Timely/ quicker response to emerging issues
Easy to direct to members with a given profile
Convenience of completing surveys/ participating in meetings/ 'e-conferences' from home at a convenient time - particularly advantageous to those living in rural areas
Notice boards to keep recruited members infomed
Online focus groups (real-time)
Potentially greater security and elimination of mischievous responses.

Full details of the Consensus eConsultation Platform can be found at: http://consensusplatform.co.uk