Data Collection Involving Citizens www Applied Survey Research

Data Collection: Involving Citizens www. Applied. Survey. Research. org Deanna Zachary Working group: Constructing Indicators of Progress/ Well-being with Citizens/Communities July, 2008 Watsonville Office P. O. Box 1927 Watsonville, CA 95077 USA (831) 728 -1356 San Jose Office 991 West Hedding, Suite 102 San Jose, CA 95126 USA (408) 247 -8319 1

Who is ASR? • • • Non-profit social research organization, 25+ years experience Dedicated to helping people build better communities through better information Research activities include: • Community assessments: Santa Cruz CAP won innovation • • • award last year at CIC Evaluations Strategic planning Citizen involvement with data collection/participatory research 2

Engaging Citizens in Community Indiciator Projects • • Technical Advisory Committees of citizens Telephone surveys of citizens Face-to-face surveys with citizens Peer to peer research: Homeless farmworkers, and youth 3

Case Study: Santa Cruz County Community Assessment Project

Santa Cruz CAP • Project started in 1994 • Report measures over 135 indicators in six areas: education, economy, health, public safety, natural environment, and the social environment • Technical Advisory Committees with citizens/residents • Telephone Surveys with 750 SCC residents in English and Spanish 5

Technical Advisory Committees • Comprised of members of the community who have a vested interest or are experts in the six domains (economy, education, health, public safety, social and natural environments) • They attend meetings to identify quality of life indicators and data sources • Technical Advisory Committee provides expert guidance • Apprx. 1, 000 individuals in Santa Cruz County (3, 000 in Truckee Meadows, Nevada) 6

Telephone Survey Questions • Does your child’s school provide a safe place for learning? • How often are you able to get help from family/friends to handle a family crisis or a parenting challenge? • How safe do you feel in your neighborhood? • Do you feel like you have opportunities to work? • Have you felt discriminated against in the last 12 months? • Do you eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day? 7

The Anchorage Community Assessment Project (CAP) 8

Face-to-Face Surveys • Have you needed medical attention in the last year? Did you get it? • How many times have you had five or more drinks within about two hours? • How much of your total household take-home pay goes to rent and housing costs? • Did you have to go without basic needs in the last 12 months (food, child care, health care, housing)? • How much of a problem is domestic violence in Anchorage? 9

Homeless Reports 10

Homeless Census • Trained homeless “guides” are paired with community volunteers or service providers. • Homeless know where homeless are likely to be found. • Homeless have local knowledge of street geography. 11

Homeless Surveys • Trained homeless conduct interviews with other homeless on the street. • Peer – to – Peer Interviewing increases rapport and therefore leads to quality data. • Homeless interviewers use local and community knowledge to find homeless respondents. 12

Results in Los Angeles 2007 • Showed 73, 702 homeless individuals over the course of three days; Approx. 10, 100 were children. • Estimated 141, 737 people expected to be homeless in LA over one year. • • 24% of the homeless were in families. • Median age of 45 years old. Over 50% of survey resp. were African-American, 24% were Latino, and 19% Caucasian. 13

Survey - Disabling Conditions • Approximately 74% of survey respondents selfreported experiencing at least one disabling condition. 14

Farmworker Reports 15

Washington Farmworkers • One of the largest surveys in history, using the Promotores Model by training 140 farmworkers to survey other farmworkers • • 3, 000 Farmworkers surveyed Quality of Life Survey: health, domestic violence, pesticide exposure, housing status (water quality, pests, plumbing, heating in the house), where they wanted to live (on the farm, in town). 16

Washington Farmworkers • Two-thirds of respondents and their families lacked health insurance. • • • 66% had not been to a doctor in the last year. 1 in 4 had never seen a dentist. 13% had been diagnosed with exposure to pesticides. 17

Case Study: Project CURB 18

Prevalence of Binge Drinking • Percent of Youth Survey Respondents Who Had 5 or More Drinks in 2 Hours in the Past 12 Months 19

CURB Youth Survey • 37% of youth respondents rode in a car with someone who was drinking and 30% had been drinking and driving themselves in the past year. • Sexual consequences of drinking: • 21% reported having unplanned sex as a result of drinking. • 17% reported unprotected sex. • 15% reported that they were taken advantage of sexually. 20

Citizen Engagement 21

Summary of Citizen Engagement • • Technical Advisory Committees of citizens Telephone surveys of citizens Face-to-face surveys with citizens Peer to peer research: Homeless farmworkers, and youth 22

Applied Survey Research Deanna Zachary Project Manager www. appliedsurveyresearch. org 831 -728 -1356 Watsonville Office P. O. Box 1927 Watsonville, CA 95077 USA (831) 728 -1356 San Jose Office 991 West Hedding, Suite 102 San Jose, CA 95126 USA (408) 247 -8319 23