CityMARKS™ FAQs

What is CityMARKS™?

CityMARKS™ is a strategically-focused, citizen satisfaction measurement program designed to offer local governments the power to benchmark results from their research against a national survey of citizens..

Why should we survey our citizens?

Citizens today have higher expectations and more choices. They are better informed, more interested in being involved, and willing to speak out, especially at the polls, when they are concerned about governance and the provision of critical services. Citizens today expect the same service delivery from government as they receive from the best business. A citizen survey is an important component of understanding needs and expectations and determining how well they are served by your city.

A well-designed citizen satisfaction survey system:

• Helps your city assess citizen needs and expectations,
• Provides local government officials with the information required to make long-range, short-term, or strategic decisions,
• Demonstrates your city’s receptivity to citizen views,
• Helps local officials understand the changing face of your community,
• Measures the impact of policy changes over time, and/or
• Assists local officials with responses to council mandates.

What will my city get out of participation in CityMARKS™?

A skilled research consultant works with your city to build a survey instrument that addresses the specific issues of your city and supports benchmarking.

Final deliverables include a robust sample of your citizens, aggregate and subgroup analysis of your data, and a final summary report. The results can be used for a variety of purposes including measuring and tracking satisfaction with public services, identifying quality of life issues , and ultimately, developing strategic imperatives for resource allocations – all of which translate into increased satisfaction with the quality of life in your city. A research professional is always available to present the results to members of your organization.

Do we have to use the standard CityMARKS™ questions?

To benchmark, you will want to include some questions from the standardized CityMARKS™ questionnaire. Knowing that each city faces unique issues and may require specific data to inform decisions, CityMARKS™ lets you incorporate your own questions. An experienced research consultant will help you develop a final survey instrument that specifically addresses your city’s needs and allows you to build on over time. The CityMARKS™ questionnaire measures citizen satisfaction with a broad range of services so all of the major services you provide are likely to be represented.

How many citizens are surveyed?

Your CityMARKS™ survey is based on a minimum sample of 400 households, drawn scientifically to be representative of your city’s entire population. This sample provides a reliable estimate of your citizens’ attitudes, with a margin of error of no more than plus or minus 5 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Many cities want the ability to “drill down” results to specific geographic regions and/or with other key subgroups – e.g., new versus long-term residents. Cities may purchase a larger sample size in blocks of 100 completed surveys. Our research professionals are experienced in sampling. They will work with you to identify the appropriate sample size that meet your specific research objectives and allow for the levels of analysis required by your city planners.

Our Hispanic population has grown significantly. Can we conduct interviews in Spanish?

Current census data shows that 14 percent of the U.S. population is of Hispanic or Latino descent – an increase of 8 percent since 2000. In many communities the percentage is even higher. Other research suggests that these citizens are an increasingly important part of every community as their buying and political power increases. Finally, as this constituent group integrates into their communities, they bring their own unique needs and requirements for government services to the table. We recommend providing the opportunity to allow every citizen group a voice in your community by providing the opportunity to complete CityMARKS surveys in Spanish, even for those who speak English. NWRG will translate your survey to Spanish for a small additional charge – all of the CityMARKS™ benchmarking survey is already translated to Spanish. NWRG has highly-trained, professional bilingual data collection specialists on staff. There is an additional charge of 10 percent to conduct your CityMARKS™ survey in both English and Spanish.

How will NWRG use the information collected for our city?

Your city owns the data collected from the research. Individual city data is handled confidentially, as per the bylaws of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) of which we are a member. NWRG will not use your city’s data in any way without your permission. NWRG retains the rights to the CityMARKS™ benchmarking questionnaire and all data collected through the annual CityMARKS™ national survey. This data cannot be reproduced in any format or used in anyway without our express written approval.

Do I have to do a CityMARKS™ survey to use the benchmarking data?

In 2006, NWRG will publish the first annual report of key measures of citizen attitudes and perceptions of government as well as their satisfaction with government services. This report is available for $250. While this report provides the information you would need to benchmark to cities nationwide, the real value of CityMARKS™ is your ability to choose the size, location, and/or other characteristics of the communities that represent your best benchmarking measures.

How long will it take to get results?

There are several factors to consider. These include how your city is organized and works as well as the number of surveys you decide to complete. A typical time frame is between 8 and 12 weeks.

How much does it cost to participate in CityMARKS™?

The base price for conducting a CityMARKS™ survey is $15,000. This cost includes the following:

• On-site visit with your Citizen Satisfaction Project Team to help us clearly define your survey objectives, understand how this data will be used, establish a time schedule that fits your needs, and negotiate the final contract. (Note while the price includes the time for this on-site visit, travel is billed at cost. NWRG works to minimize travel costs by purchasing the lowest air fares available and adhering to government per diem standards.)
• Development of a survey questionnaire that addresses your city’s objectives. The survey questionnaire can use questions drawn from NWRG’s CityMARKS™ survey, allowing the opportunity for benchmarking, as well as questions to meet your specific needs. The budget is based on a survey that averages no more than 10 minutes in length.
• Completing a minimum of 400 surveys among a random sample of households in your community.
• Comprehensive analysis of your survey data. You will receive one or two complete sets of banner tabulations customized to provide the information you need about key citizen groups. For example, we can look at your data by geographic region, demographic, length of residency, and a number of other critical characteristics. (Note the extent of this analysis may be limited by your sample size; a research professional will work with you to ensure that this analysis is both reliable and valid.)
• Benchmarking. Your data will be benchmarked against the national data for those questions you select from the standardized CityMARKS™ survey. You will also be allowed to select subgroups of cities based on region and size that will allow you to view your results against cities that are similar to yours.
• Final Report. You will receive a Summary Report and PowerPoint presentation documenting the key findings from, and implications of, your research. The Summary Report will include an overview of the project objectives and methodology, an analysis and interpretation of key research results, and conclusions and recommendations, based on these results and our knowledge of the issues facing your city, as appropriate.

Who should I contact for more information regarding CityMARKS™?

For more information, please contact Krissa Wrigley at Northwest Research Group, Inc. (kwrigley@nwrg.com or (208) 364-1071). Additional information is also available at CityMARKS™.