Objective

 

To gauge the opinions of youngsters from a broad cross-section of society.

 

Challenge

The use of paper-based questionnaires proved inflexible and time-consuming.

 

Solution

 

IML's Communicator keypads and Question Wizard technology.

 

• Flexible voting - Extra, 'impromptu' questions can be asked at any stage of the consultation process.
• Data Collation - Feedback results are available instantly and stored as an Excel® file for post event analysis.
• Anonymous - The system enables the audience to submit anonymous responses. This eliminates peer pressure amongst youths and facilitates honest feedback.
• Demographics analysis - Trends between different youth groups can be clearly identified.
• Entertaining - The system facilitates lively quizzes that actively involve and engage participants, creating a fun and competitive atmosphere.

 

Case study

 

Seeking the opinions of hundreds of youths on a regular basis is no mean feat. But with the help of IML voting technology, youths in Worcestershire are getting their say.

 

The Worcestershire Youth Service have the task of gathering the opinions of 11-19 year olds from all walks of life, such as those living in urban and rural areas, minority groups and those with disabilities.

 

Their key objective is to give young people in Worcestershire a voice and involve them in decision-making and local democracy.

 

From the information gathered, they can identify the youngsters concerns and requirements and take them to service providers, such as the District and County Council and the Health Authority. With a clear idea of what youngsters want and need, services can be modified for them.

 

Meeting in pubs, schools and youth clubs, the Youth Service needed their "Youthink" events to be run in a fun and friendly manner, so quizzes, discussion and voting were seen as the best way to engage with the audience.

 

Some questions were prepared in advance, however, the IML keypads allowed impromptu questions to be created in response to opinions and comments from the youths.

 

This meant that all issues raised could be covered. It also meant that the data gathered reflected the issues youths find important and was therefore more detailed.

 

Another benefit to using the IML keypad is the removal of peer pressure. Each young person has their own keypad and voting is anonymous, allowing them to express their true opinions in confidence.

 

Despite the anonymity, the Keypads allow for demographic analysis, so that trends between different groups can be clearly identified. During one meeting, organisers and the audience could clearly see that public transport was of far greater concern to youngsters living in rural areas than it was to those living in towns or cities.

 

Worcestershire Youth Group used to use paper questionnaires to canvass the opinions of youths, however, they found the process time-consuming and response rates reflected that young people did not find the medium accessible or interesting. Since buying the Keypads, their events are more efficient and enlivened.

 

The Worcestershire Youth Group plan to incorporate the keypad text function (up to 127 characters) and microphone attachments into future events to create an even more interactive environment.

 

Client testimonial

 

"Since we bought the IML voting system, we have been able to deliver lively consultation events to a lot of young people in a short time frame. Young people and ourselves can see the results immediately. We can respond to the direction of the meeting and ask extra questions if we want. It's a great way to remove peer pressure and ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to have their say. The resulting data has proved very valuable for informing and influencing decision makers to implement positive change for the benefit of young people across the county".

Paul Finnemore, Worcestershire Youth Service Senior Manager.