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HOST Policy Research: Our Services

Surveys and Quantitative Research

HOST maintains an in-house Survey Unit that conducts postal surveys, e-surveys and small-scale telephone surveys (larger telephone surveys are conducted by our survey partner, Telephone Surveys Limited). The Survey Unit is managed by Susan Sibley, HOST’s Director of Operations. In particular, e-surveys have become a regular part of HOST’s project methodologies and our response rates, dependent upon the quality of the contact information provided by the client, are excellent. The e-mail contact address is essential, as the survey is administered through an embedded link in a personalised e-mail. The proportion of the content that is pre-coded will depend on the agreed focus of the survey, which will be discussed at the inception meeting. HOST uses web-SNAP software, giving ease of access and use, essential where respondents will have diverse quality ICT and related support. Usually we incorporate two waves of reminders to complete a survey.

HOST consistently achieves in the region of 60 per cent for e-surveys. For example, for LSIS, recent surveys of the Higher Quality Manager Programme’s mentors and mentees achieved 71 per cent and 60 per cent respectively. Another recent survey for LSIS in relation to the Support for Excellence programme that is still running has achieved 51 per cent. Much depends, however, on the availability and accuracy of contact information. Further evidence of HOST response rates can be provided on request.

Quality control is a vital part of achieving a good response and HOST employs a 100 per cent verification process of entered sample information.

Another important aspect of our research is working with existing research evidence and MI. HOST devotes time to considering existing research evidence and using findings to-date to inform the development of research tools. HOST is familiar with all published datasets including ILR and in the spirit of reducing bureaucracy prefers to work with evidence that is already being provided, for example by a provider as part of their contract producing monthly or quarterly returns, then developing methods to fill any obvious information gaps.

HOST is known for robust analysis of secondary statistical sources including large data sets (eg Labour Force Survey; ILR, NESS, Census of Population – Economic and Educational Activity Indicators, and others). HOST staff have published on the use of official and non-official data sources in the UK and more widely in Europe and are recognised as experts in their fields with bodies as diverse as DIUS, DCSF, DTI/BERR, Home Office and others in the UK and ILO, OECD and CEDEFOP more widely – and have worked as methodological consultants for all of these bodies.