District of Sparwood - Planning Department

Introduction

The District of Sparwood is striving to improve communications with the residents and provide more opportunities for public input on various topics.
The questionnaire focused on eight key areas: Communication, Council, Recreation and Community Services, Public Works and Utilities, Environment, Planning and Engineering, Fire Protection and Financial.
The questionnaire had several objectives – to provide information to residents, assess knowledge and support for various initiatives and to determine the format in which residents would like to receive information in the future. Throughout this document the terms survey and questionnaire will be used interchangeably.

Methodology

In mid-May the District of Sparwood sent out a community questionnaire (see the original copy here) which was available online, in the mailboxes and at Municipal Hall. Each post office box within the District was supplied with a questionnaire that included a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the intention of encouraging a better response. The online survey was set up using Civic Info BC and a link was available from the home page of the District’s website. Newspaper ads were placed and Radio ads and interviews were also played on the local stations for the days up to the end of the survey to promote response.
Of the approximately 1800 surveys sent out there were 34 questionnaires filled out online and 295 that were mailed back to the District office for a total response rate of 18.3%. The written response rate was 16.4% with an additional online response of 1.9%.
A survey of this size has an approximate maximum margin of error of +/- 5%. This means that we can be relatively certain (approximately 95% sure) that the entire population will be within 5% of any particular answer. For example, if 75% of respondents in this survey answered yes for a question, the District of Sparwood could be 95% sure that between 70% and 80% of the entire population of Sparwood would select yes as well. This is an approximate value as the questionnaire population was not randomly selected and does not include errors that may have been introduced due to non-representative sample design, poorly phrased questions, miscounts or people refusing to answer.