IML's Communicator keypads enabled more than 1000 people across the UK to express their opinions during National Pensions Day - the largest public consultation event of its kind ever to be undertaken by the UK Government.

Participants in Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, South Wales and London simultaneously debated the future of the nation’s pension system and were linked by satellite to share their views and findings.

 

Client Background

Opinion Leader Research was commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to conduct a UK-wide, public consultation on the Pensions Commission’s proposals to reform the UK’s pension system.

The consultation aimed to engage a diverse, cross-section of UK society in the contentious and complex issue of long-term pensions’ reform.

The Government used the findings of the consultation to understand the public’s views and inform its pensions reform proposals which have since been published in the recent White Paper 'Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system', May 2006.

It was, therefore crucial that participants were educated about the issues surrounding pensions in order for them to submit informed opinions.

 

The challenge

Having already worked with IML on a number of large-scale consultation projects, Opinion Leader approached IML in need of a system that could aid the process of education and understanding, whilst making National Pensions Day informative, interactive and fun for participants.

Instant and accurate feedback from IML’s system would also form an integral part of the consultation, as live feedback reports from the six locations across the UK would be shared via satellite video links and supplied to journalists, ministers and other observers throughout the day.

 

Event

At the beginning of the event, before any information had been given, IML simultaneously ran a series of nine questions across the six locations, asking participants their knowledge of and opinions about the current challenges facing the UK pensions system.

The same questions were asked again at the end of the day, following a series of detailed presentations and informed discussions. This enabled researchers to assess knowledge levels and measure how greater understanding shifted opinions and attitudes.

Asking before and after questions proved an extremely effective method of analysing existing views and attitudes against opinions formed after the debate. At the start of the day, only 13% of participants agreed with the statement: 'I know a lot about pensions’, by the end of the day, 55% of participants agreed with the statement.

IML's technology was also used to run an interactive ‘Pensions Pub Quiz’ across the six sites. The quiz was designed as a stimulating and fun method of providing all participants with simple and accessible information about pensions. The quiz also aimed to dispel any misunderstandings surrounding pensions and created a lively and competitive atmosphere amongst teams.

Live voting sessions were held throughout the day following table discussions, enabling Opinion Leader to gather participants’ informed opinions on each topic.

Feedback results were displayed instantly after each quiz round and live vote to help maintain participants’ concentration levels and allow researchers to compile instant data reports for the live satellite link-ups.

Instant data reports also enabled Opinion Leader researchers to provide participants and journalists with an information pack, detailing the initial findings of the day’s deliberations before the end of the event.

Data supplied by IML’s interactive system is time-coded as it is captured. This made it possible for researchers to assess the impact of information supplied during the debate, enabling ‘light bulb’ moments, when participants’ views are influenced or amended to be identified.

 

Outcomes

This type of consultation provided participants with more information than they would receive using traditional survey methods and enabled them to arrive at more informed views, resulting in more valuable and balanced feedback data.

Furthermore, instant and accurate data supplied by IML’s system rendered results 100% transparent. How participants’ voted was a matter of public record - results were displayed instantly in front of ministers and journalists. Since paper-based surveys cannot be 100% transparent in this way they will always involve an element of public doubt.

IML’s interactive keypads exposed participants to a diverse range of viewpoints and created an equal platform for all participants to express their opinion during National Pensions Day. Statistics from a similar consultation event for the Department of Health support this – 94% of participants agreed that they had had their say.

 

Testimonial

"For many people, pensions are a complicated and emotive subject, around which there are many misconceptions and misunderstandings. IML’s interactive system helped Opinion Leader to impart simple and accessible information in a fun and lively way that kept participants engaged and stimulated throughout National Pensions Day. More importantly, IML’s keypads ensured that every participant across the UK contributed to the day and to the debate. IML’s keypads created an energetic environment and proved crucial to the effectiveness of the day".

Rachel Lopata , Research Director, Opinion Leader.