Overview

This survey design training course will prove invaluable for anyone responsible for a survey research program, whether the focus is customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, customer product needs, or any other area where survey research is appropriate. The seminar provides its students the background, knowledge, tools, and critical thinking skills to build and conduct a successful survey program from start to finish. While many of the examples used in the training are from customer surveys, the techniques taught are applicable to any survey program.

This is not a training course about why surveys should be done. Rather, this is a course that teaches, step-by-step, how to perform survey programs. You will learn about the tools and techniques for each step in a surveying process, and perhaps more importantly, what questions need to be asked -- and answered -- at every stage, questions the untrained surveyor would not think to ask. For organizations that are considering outsourcing the surveying effort, the course will provide valuable information for selecting the right vendor of surveying services and for being a successful partner in the surveying program.

The instructional method includes a combination or lectures and exercises to foster deep-seated learning -- and to foster group interaction that keeps the workshop interesting. We walk through the steps of creating a survey questionnaire with exercises for each major step.

Immediate feedback is also provided on attendees' sample survey questionnaires. The class performs a group critique of questionnaires brought in by class members! This is a favorite part of the class for almost all attendees. They leave with more than just enhanced skills; they leave with an enhanced survey questionnaire.

Survey data analysis is best learned by doing. In this new 3-day format, you will be analyzing your own survey data set by applying the techniques lectured in the morning. If you don't have a data set, we have a sample data set on which you can practice. Bring a laptop on which to perform the analysis -- and your data set.

Agenda

Survey Project Management

• Definition of a scientific survey and key terminology
• Types of surveys: periodic (relationship), transaction-driven, one-time ad-hoc
• Key stages of a survey project and requirements of the project manager
• Exercise: Developing a Statement of Purpose and how it drives the project flow

Questionnaire Design (Instrument Design)

• The questionnaire design process: The steps to follow
• Types of questions: demographic, attitudinal, and attributes of the relationship being measured
• How to identify aspects of the relationship to measure through the survey:
  • Role of focus groups, interviews, and other research techniques
• Criticality of pilot testing
• Critical issues in design of a valid questionnaire:
• Identifying common errors in question construction and question sequencing that lead to bias
  • Elements of a questionnaire: Introductions, instructions, section headings, and closings
  • Response bias considerations
  • Exercises: Identifying attributes to measure on a survey and classifying them
• Critiquing a Survey Instrument (with lots of problems)
• Developing Scales
• Drafting survey questions
• Review of various question formats (multiple choice, ordinal, interval, and ratio) and their effective use
• Impact of question format on data analysis potential
• Creating interval scales and anchor selection
• Techniques for generating actionable data and measuring importance

Administration of the Survey Questionnaire

• Comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the various administration methods:
  • Telephone surveys, IVR surveys, postal mail surveys, email surveys, and online surveys (Internet surveys)
• Discussion of administration biases and how to minimize them
• Response rate requirements for statistically valid results
• Statistical confidence given a number of responses
• Create the survey sample: Review of various sampling techniques
• Techniques to increase response rates and minimizing non-response bias
• Specific issues and concerns for telephone and online survey administration methods

Attendees' Questionnaire Critique

As a hands-on workshop, attendees are encouraged to bring a draft or sample of a survey questionnaire from their organizations. On Day 2, these instruments are critiqued by the group, delivering immediate feedback and improvement -- and allowing the group to exercise their new-found skills on real questionnaires.

Analysis of the Survey Data

• What to do before you start analysis: Setting up the spreadsheet and data cleansing
• Options for analyzing the data
• Generating descriptive statistics using Excel®
• Advanced statistical analysis options with specific treatment of correlation and regression analysis
• Determining whether survey scores across groups are significantly significant differences

The hands-on part of the Data Analysis day is focused on attendees analyzing their own data set. Bring your laptop and a data set and you will apply the techniques we learn. Don't have a data set yet? We will have a sample data set that you can analyze.

Presentation of the Results

• Ideas for organizing the data and management report for maximum effect
• Charts that work for each question type.
• Good graphic design practices that keep the reader focused on content, not technique

Registration Fees

The per student registration fee for this seminar is $1,795, and includes the seminar, course materials, certificate of completion, refreshments, and lunch both days. Class begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m. on first two days and ends 4:30 p.m.on the third day.

Register securely online with confidence or please call (708) 246-0320.

Seminar Schedule

Oct 5-7, '10

Washington, DC

Embassy Suites

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