Good day everyone!

Following the Board of County Commissioner’s recent BCC Strategic Work Session on February 6, 2025, the Board requested county administration work with Polco in the preparation of a 2025 version of the National Community Survey (NCS).  The survey is being launched today with a random sampling and will conclude in six weeks.  Survey results should be available to the Commission by mid-May to serve as input during their summer budget sessions.

 

THE SURVEY

 

Pinellas County is collecting resident feedback through the National Community Survey (NCS) to help inform strategic planning and goal setting priorities for the Board of County Commissioners.

 

Random sampling of 5,000 community households will begin February 27, 2025, and will continue through April 10, 2025. The survey will be open to all residents March 27, 2025, through April 10, 2025.

 

The following are a few of the most frequently asked questions. More information is available at https://pinellas.gov/national-community-survey.

What is The National Community Survey (NCS)?

Developed over 20 years ago and continually refined, the NCS is a survey of resident opinion that provides robust benchmark comparisons among communities across the nation. It has been used in more than 600 communities across 46 states. Communities using the NCS have reported that the tool improved service delivery, strengthened communications with community stakeholders, and helped leaders identify clear priorities for use in strategic planning and budget setting. It is the only resident survey endorsed by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the National League of Cities (NLC).

Why is the National Community Survey broken down into two surveys?

·          The Sampled Survey is designed to be as representative as possible of the population of the county. Community households are randomly selected from a comprehensive list of residential addresses to reduce bias and obtain feedback from all areas within the community. The sampled group is mailed a postcard invitation and survey packet, though they may elect to fill out the survey online. Their link is unique to their household and should not be shared. This effort is to gather accurate data from the residents who make up our community today.

·          The Open Participation Survey is offered to all residents so each voice in the community can be heard. This survey is hosted online only. It is identical to the Sampled Survey except that it asks if you are a resident of the community and to confirm which area of the community you live in.

How will the survey results be used?

The survey results will be shared with the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners as a tool to assist with future priority and goal discussions. These results will also provide strong benchmarking data that allows for comparison to similar communities across the country.

How long will the survey take to complete?

·          It takes ~ 15-16 minutes to complete.

How can I be assured that my feedback will remain anonymous?

·          Your responses are confidential and no identifying information will be shared.

·          This is a confidential survey conducted by an outside firm, so your identity is completely secure. https://info.polco.us/your-privacy.

What about leading questions or bias with the way questions are worded?

Every effort is made to pose questions as neutrally as possible. The team of survey scientists put a tremendous amount of thought into this when developing the main survey. Because all opinions are welcome, the questions need to be a blend of easy to understand, simple to respond to, and neutral in the way they are asked. There are many methods with which this is accomplished, but one of the more noticeable ones are questions with "if at all" contained in the question. For example: "How much of a priority, if at all, should it be for Pinellas County to focus on the following initiatives?" is a neutral way of presenting the question, making it as easy to answer positively as it is negatively.

Can I share my survey link with another person?

·          If you received a postcard invitation and paper survey in the mail, then this survey has a unique link for randomly selected households only and should not be shared.

·          We encourage everyone to share the Open Participation survey link with their neighbors.

 

If you receive the survey, we hope you will take the time to complete it.  Thank you.

 

Stacy O’Donnell Executive Aide, Commissioner Dave Eggers Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners 315 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756 sodonnell@pinellas.gov Office (727) 464-3276   All government correspondence is subject to public record law.