Herefordshire Voice - Herefordshire's Citizen Panel

What is Herefordshire's Citizens' Panel?

A Citizen's Panel is a sample in terms of gender, age, economic status and ward of approximately 1,000 local residents who have agreed to participate in consultation processes, and can provide a reliable cross-section of local views. It is maintained to provide a basis for survey research and is intended to:

• provide information to Councillors, managers and partners to inform service improvement;
• help contribute to greater satisfaction with the partner organisations (because people are better informed);and
• support Best Value Reviews by tracking changes in views / satisfaction.

How does the Panel work?

• the Panel was first recruited during the winter 2000/2001.
• consultation with the whole Panel generally takes place every 3 months.
• the method of survey will generally be postal or telephone.
• a survey may be commissioned by a single client or be 'shared' by a number of clients (this can be Council departments or Partner organisations,
• parts of the Panel may be used for selective surveys and other forms of consultation, such as focus groups.

What can the Panel be used for?

• help organisations understand better the needs of the community.
• show the level of public knowledge about services and the extent to which people know what is available and how to access it.
• ensure services are designed to meet public needs and priorities.
• monitor satisfaction and identify causes of dissatisfaction.
• identify who uses services and reasons for non-use.
• help set service standards and evaluate specific quality initiatives.

If you want to view examples of citizen panel surveys, please use the link here: Herefordshire Voice Surveys

Last Updated: 24 October 07,
Review Date: 20 September 2005