Representative survey of Peak District National Park residents to inform service planning and policy decisions
Interviews conducted with a representative sample of residents
Interviews completed via telephone
Face-to-face on-street interviews with younger residents
Challenge
The Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) carries out a survey of residents of the National Park every few years to understand and monitor perceptions of the National Park and attitudes towards it and towards the PDNPA. The data collected is used to inform planning, customer service functions and policy decisions.
Enventure Research was commissioned to undertake the survey of Peak District National Park residents in 2019 and independently report on the findings.
Approach
In previous years the survey has been conducted by a postal survey methodology. For the 2019 wave it was decided that a change in methodology would be implemented, moving to a telephone survey in order to achieve a more representative sample of Peak District residents via quota sampling, and to move away from the self-selecting nature of a postal survey.
A questionnaire was designed by Enventure Research and PDNPA which took respondents around 15 minutes to complete with an experienced interviewer. The questionnaire included a number of questions from previous residents’ surveys so that the results could be used to identify trends and differences over time. Respondents were asked to provide their postcode to validate that they lived within the boundaries of the National Park.
Quotas were set on gender and age according to the most up to date population data, and telephone numbers of Peak District National Park residents were sources from a reputable data provider. In order to speak to younger residents, a small number of face-to-face on-street interviews were also conducted in areas of high footfall in the Peak District.
Outcome
The survey was completed by 1,002 residents, providing a robust sample size for analysis. Enventure Research undertook detailed analysis of the data, including comparisons with previous years’ surveys and exploration of the findings by subgroups to show differences between groups of respondents.
Enventure Research provided the Peak District National Park Authority with a comprehensive report detailing the research findings and drawing out the key findings and conclusions. The research added to the PDNPA’s understanding of its residents and their perceptions about the area, highlighting how these have changed and developed over time, and will be used to inform future service planning.
“Enventure Research and Matt have been brilliant to work with on this project, from helping us to devise a suitable methodology all the way through to producing a thorough and clear report with implementable actions. I would definitely recommend Enventure Research to other businesses needing to carry out strategic research.”
Insightful research. Expertly delivered.
