CIPFA - Performance in Public Services: Social Research

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Principally, the survey has been developed for those making use of a library's ICT services, whether they do this on a fixed PC, or through use of the WiFi service.  Furthermore, the survey has been developed to meet the needs of the individual service points, which in turn will provide an authority wide profile.  The intention is that authorities should make use of the survey in order to drive local improvements.

As a census survey, where all ICT users are invited to take part, the results will provide you with a very accurate picture of who is making use of the services.  It will similarly provide you with evidence of frequency of use and the factors that led to them making use of the services.  This may in turn lead to establishing the drivers for use in relation to satisfaction or other aspects of service.  As well as finding out what they did manage to do during their visit, we also seek to find out what they could not do.

More specifically, by tracking feedback in relation to software, we should be better informed to be able to decide the optimum point at which we should be updating or replacing software.  However, you may still need to carry out a more formal audit, to check the age of the software you are using.  You may also consider doing some more detailed work, e.g. focus groups, around the needs of your users.  With regard to feedback on staff, we ask this in relation to their ability to support the software.  This may have implications for European Computer Driving License (EDCL) or similar training, as well as the more traditional role of librarians as gatekeepers to information.  We also consider it useful to be able to point to evidence of satisfaction with staff, as a practical way of defending against staff cuts etc.  Certainly recent results would suggest that a great deal of value is placed by ICT users in the staff.