A Different Approach to Organisational Surveys - CASE STUDY

Issue: The Problem

A community sector organisation was experiencing a reduction in retention, performance and engagement. The organisation was geographically spread and worked with a challenging client group. They sought to generate data to inform their thinking.

Ideas: Our Thinking

We were concerned about using a standardised survey process. Performance in the service was linked to a unique confluence of factors. Discovering and understanding these was critical. We recommended a participatory survey design process.

Innovation: What We Did

We proposed the development of a tailored and specific organisational survey. A project team was established to lead the survey design. A series of focus groups and feedback sessions were conducted with diverse members of the organisation resulting in the construction of the survey. The survey was implemented with a 98% participation rate.

Impact: The effect

The program assisted the organisation to 

• Identify four key drivers of engagement in the organisation
• Identify the role of management in buffering the impact of the client group
• Highlight role confusion between clinical and management tasks
• Establish benchmark data for on-going review and measurement
• Develop a reliable survey instrument to capture feedback
• Define a set of actions to increase staff engagement