Two-minute impact
The survey fulfills a key objective of the county’s Strategic Plan, which is to establish better communication networks between county departments and the community, Director of Communications and Media Relations Connie Odom said during the presentation.
Odom said the survey is part of a larger communication strategy that seeks to build stronger relationships internally and externally, and aims to solicit feedback about county services.
The agreement between ETC Institute and Williamson County includes the development of a survey and a designed sampling plan for a total of 1,200 completed surveys from randomly selected Williamson County residents, Odom said.
ETC Institute is in charge of mailing the surveys out to residents and collecting them once they are completed. The company is also responsible for encouraging households to finish the surveys by sending postcards, text messages and emails, Odom said.
Approximately 6,000 surveys will be sent to residents to ensure that 1,200 completed surveys are returned, Odom said. According to the ETC Institute, a completed sampling of 1,200 residents gives its survey a 95% level of confidence that the sampling is statistically valid and representative.
The details
The survey consists of 35 questions ranging from what are residents' top concerns to what is the best thing about living in Williamson County, according to county documents.
As an incentive, a final question offers residents who fill out the survey a chance to win a $500 prepaid Visa gift card.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey asked that ETC Institute ensure an accurate sampling of residents across the county.
According to ETC Institute, the brokerage firm tasked with gathering resident information will create an accurate sampling of residents by utilizing a master USPS mailing list that includes all residential addresses in the county from single-family homes to individual apartment numbers in multi-family dwellings.
What's next?
The company will mail out the surveys in the next few weeks with a goal of presenting the findings in September, Odom said.
