Agenda #: 5.6
Meeting Date: June 6, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Daniel Fox, City Manager
TITLE: CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH TRUE NORTH
RESEARCH, INC. FOR THE COMPLETION OF A COMMUNITY
SURVEY THROUGH JUNE 30, 2024.
STRATEGIC
GOAL: Open, Engaged & Responsive Government
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve and authorize the City Manager to sign the Consultant Services Agreement with True North Research, Inc.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The total not-to-exceed amount of the Agreement for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 would be $29,300. Sufficient funds are included in the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget to cover the cost of this survey.
BACKGROUND:
In keeping with the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan, and in support of ongoing efforts to improve community engagement, the City is conducting its first comprehensive resident survey.
The purpose of this survey is to measure, among other areas, residents’ perception of the overall quality of life in Diamond Bar, and their satisfaction with the type of and level of services and programs the City offers, as well as learn about their communication and engagement preferences.
After this initial survey, the City will have baseline data that can be compared to future surveys. It is good practice to repeat resident surveys every two years to track shifts in residents’ satisfaction and expectations as well as to identify opportunities for improvement. Additionally, resident feedback and insights gained from these biennial surveys will be useful during future strategic planning efforts.
ANALYSIS:
In February 2023, the Public Information Division solicited proposals from qualified firms to conduct a comprehensive community satisfaction survey. Staff received 13 proposals and reviewed them in order to identify the top three firms to invite to an interview.
Interviews were conducted by Zoom on May 2, 2023, and staff unanimously agreed that True North Research, Inc. (True North) be selected because of their reasonable pricing, their extensive experience conducting community surveys on behalf of public agencies, their familiarity with the local area, and their data collection methodology.
True North will complete a scientifically valid survey of 500 residents using a random sampling methodology that ensures a representative sample of adult residents in Diamond Bar. They will use three recruiting methods (email, text, and telephone calls) to solicit participation. Each survey will have a unique identification code tied to a Diamond Bar address to limit one response, per individual, per household. Additionally, the survey and invitations will be available in English as well as in Chinese and Korean, the city’s two other dominant languages used by Diamond Bar residents, according to the 2020 Census data.
Once the agreement between the City and True North is signed, the survey process will begin and take approximately three months to be completed. The final report detailing the survey results and most important findings will be presented to the City Council at a future meeting.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the agreement as to form.
PREPARED BY:
REVIEWED BY:
Attachments:
1. 5.6.a NDP True North Research Contract
2. 5.6.b SurveyTNR-Exhibit A