What you need to know
Collecting and using data
Data protection and GDPR
When developing the consultants brief clear expectations should be set at the outset around how data will be collected and stored.
You should decide whether digital data collection would be a suitable option for engagement activities (online surveys and forms etc) and be clear if you expect digital only, face to face only or a mixture of both.
If you want digital collection methods to be an option, then appropriate GDPR guidelines need to be followed and you need to make sure you include some reference to this in the consultant brief – indicating that you expect consultants to be familiar and comply with current GDPR regulation. This will include storing data securely and ensuring that participants are made aware of how their data will be stored and used.
If you are asking questions for another organisation, you will also have to think about how you will share that data and make people aware of this.
In responding to the brief, consultants should indicate how they would anticipate collecting data and how this would be stored and managed to be fully GDPR compliant. Responsibility for complying still sits with your organisation.
Again, if you feel that you need help with this then either Community Learning and Development (CLD) or Third Sector Interface (TSI) staff can be approached for advice in the first instance.
Analysis of consultation
If analysis of the consultation is something you’re looking for the consultant to provide, it’s important to be clear what you’re looking for from them.
Your consultation is likely to gather a mixture of quantitative and qualitative information.
Quantitative information or data is usually obtained when you ask people to choose options in a survey or where you gather numbers e.g. ‘XXX number of people agreed that…’
Qualitative information or data is usually obtained by asking people for comments or suggestions. This might be a follow up comment box after asking quantitive questions.
Qualitative information will need analysis and requires answers or material from public events to be grouped into categories or themes.
You should think about the need for cross-referencing different questions to generate more specific and actionable results e.g. “90% of people who said that what they liked about living in the area was the strong sense of community, also said that the number of empty or derelict properties in the town centre was what they didn’t like about living here.” or “70% of people who took part in our survey live in social rented housing. 30% of these reported problems with mould in their homes”.
You don’t need to include anything detailed or specific relating to what questions will require cross referencing (as you may not be sure of questions at this point) in the consultant’s brief, but you should be clear as to whether you would want (or expect) cross referencing to be conducted as part of the analysis.
Other things to consider when thinking about analysis of consultations and what will be outlined in the consultant’s brief are:
Whether you want to receive a full copy of all the data collected during the consultation phases and how you would like to receive this.
How and when you will discuss analysis requirements and how you would like to receive analysed data and in what form.
How you will both store any confidential or sensitive information securely (i.e. names, contact details etc) and how this will be used.
A guide for Local Place Plans