Industry overview
What is shaping government
Government departments, PSUs and public programmes need independent evidence on citizen needs, service delivery and programme outcomes, often gathered across large and diverse geographies.
- Programmes are expected to show measurable outcomes
- Citizen feedback is shaping service delivery
- Large field surveys need rigorous quality control
Client background
A public transport authority, working in Australia. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A public transport authority
- Sector
- Government
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Government research, Quantitative research, Data analytics & dashboards
Client challenge
The authority needed evidence on commuter satisfaction and travel patterns. Complaints about crowding and delays had increased, and the authority was planning service changes. Complaints about crowding and delays were rising, and the authority needed evidence to plan timetable changes.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: a commuter survey for a public transport authority.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of commuters.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 8 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 6,000 commuters.
- commuters6,000
Audiences we typically reach in government
Citizens and householdsProgramme beneficiariesFrontline workersLocal officialsBusinesses using public services
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Australia. Market: Australia.
- Australia
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2On-board and online survey
- 3Insight
We surveyed passengers on board and online, weighting results by route. Surveys were offered on board and online, and results were weighted by route and time of day to reflect actual ridership. Open comments helped identify specific stops and times with the worst problems. Survey staff rode selected routes at peak and off-peak times, and online invitations reached regular commuters through the authority’s app.
Government researchQuantitative researchData analytics & dashboards
Sampling strategy
- commuters
- 6,000
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Interactive dashboard for ongoing tracking
Key findings
- Reliability and crowding were key concerns.
- The survey became an annual programme to track service quality.
Route-level data guided changes.
Recommendations
- The authority adjusted timetables.
- Share the findings with the teams closest to customers so they can act quickly.
What we recommended, and the client put into practice
Business impact
- Satisfaction improved on routes where timetables changed.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interactive dashboard
- Evaluation findings with programme recommendations
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: is a scheme reaching the people it was meant for?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.