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You are here: Gathering data > Clients > Client survey
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As clients are at the centre of the work of CLCs, understanding the extent to which you are effective in meeting their needs and achieving positive outcomes with and for them is the most important task in the evaluation process. Client surveys are the key method/tool to obtain this information.
Queensland CLCs are required to undertake client surveys under their service agreements with the Queensland Government: clause 5.4 states 'You must complete a client survey in the form developed through a co-design process with the Queensland legal assistance sector and the Commonwealth Government.'
All Queensland CLCs are required to enter client surveys into the Survey Monkey tool. CLCQ will coordinate the timing of the survey period and will communicate directly with Queensland CLCs about this, including providing the link to the Survey Monkey page.
Queensland CLCs are required to undertake client surveys under their service agreements with the Queensland Government: clause 5.4 states 'You must complete a client survey in the form developed through a co-design process with the Queensland legal assistance sector and the Commonwealth Government.'
All Queensland CLCs are required to enter client surveys into the Survey Monkey tool. CLCQ will coordinate the timing of the survey period and will communicate directly with Queensland CLCs about this, including providing the link to the Survey Monkey page.
Which clients / groups should complete the survey?
Community Legal Centres Queensland's evaluation project recommended that an 'experience-based' approach to data collection be used. This means collecting data when convenient, such as after service delivery or from a random sample of clients during a given time period. However, at a minimum, to ensure the data collected is still relevant to assessing the impact of your CLC, it is suggested that the proportion of responses collected is reflective of the spread of the client demographic serviced by your CLC and the types of services provided. This can include gender, disability status, identification as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander etc.
By way of guidance from our project, your CLC could use 25% as an overall figure to aim for, bearing in mind the different challenges in connecting with distinct client groups, for example, those who connected only once for advice.
Although sample size is a significant factor, it's equally important to work to achieve a survey sample that avoids any bias, for example, by attempting to ensure that it does not disproportionately represent respondents who may have had predominantly positive experiences.
Being transparent about sample sizes and restricting the validity of the data collected by CLCs based only on response numbers or percentages, the sector can start to build an evidence base that can inform future decisions about time and resources to develop methods to better collect data from unrepresented client groups.
By way of guidance from our project, your CLC could use 25% as an overall figure to aim for, bearing in mind the different challenges in connecting with distinct client groups, for example, those who connected only once for advice.
Although sample size is a significant factor, it's equally important to work to achieve a survey sample that avoids any bias, for example, by attempting to ensure that it does not disproportionately represent respondents who may have had predominantly positive experiences.
Being transparent about sample sizes and restricting the validity of the data collected by CLCs based only on response numbers or percentages, the sector can start to build an evidence base that can inform future decisions about time and resources to develop methods to better collect data from unrepresented client groups.
How could clients complete the survey?
There are four methods you could use to tell clients about the survey:
- Option 1: Provide a form after an advice session or other service at your centre
- Option 2: Call former clients and ask them to undertake the survey
- Option 3: Email former clients and ask them to undertake the survey
- Option 4: Write a letter to former clients and ask them to undertake the survey.