Consultation methods for a community transport assessment

Know what questions you want to ask your community? Here are some ways to collect their views.

The most common option is to create a questionnaire, but there are many ways to consult with members of your community. Try using more than one method to reach as many members of the community as possible. For example, follow a general questionnaire with one-to-one interviews to reach people with specific service requirements.

Questionnaires

A questionnaire is a popular way to collect the information you need from the members of your community.

How to write and design a questionnaire

Group meetings

Hold meetings with community groups with specific needs. You can hear the issues all at once and discuss them in detail. You can meet with targeted groups, such as a youth group or luncheon club, to help make your consultation reflective of the whole community.

One-to-one interviews

Interviews can target specific community groups where questionnaire responses are expected to be low.

Drop in events

Set up in a communal place where people can drop in at any time to discuss the issues with you. These events provide more flexibility than a scheduled meeting.

Suggestion boxes

This could be a physical suggestion box, or an email inbox. A suggestion box allows people to provide their views once the official consultation period is over. This allows you to monitor changing needs over time.