Public sector surveys: Questions, types, and templates

Public sector questionnaires collect vital data to help you make the right decision and get support and approval from people. Use surveys to find out what citizens think about certain issues, collect and analyze the data and get ready to solve problems. The greatest power lies in knowledge, and when you have the knowledge about what people think and how they feel, you'll know which steps to take to improve their lives. Public sector surveys immensely help with that, and SurveyPlanet has all the tools you need to create a survey on your own. With powerful templates, you'll never be short of questions, and you'll get by easily because of the user-friendly interface. Sign up now and explore different options to discover what works best for you.

What are public sector surveys?

Public sector surveys are widely used by governments and other public sector institutions to help with assessing public opinion about certain topics. The main benefit of using a public survey is to help you prioritize what are some of the most burning issues to resolve. Obviously, you can't know what people think without asking them. But that's easier said than done because every citizen is equally important, but it's impossible to ask every single one what they think. With public sector surveys, you can easily gather information from thousands of people and analyze the results.

Types of public sector surveys

There is an unlimited number of topics you can research with public surveys, and we don't want you to get overwhelmed. Because of that, we've prepared some of the most important types of public sector questionnaires to get you started.

Political surveys

Political surveys can be conducted all year round to gather information and feedback from people about various political issues. Political parties use surveys to get as much data as possible to successfully tackle the problems people experience. The political party that has the most robust data has a clear picture of the attitudes and opinions of people. Because of that, they can use that data to attract more voters and greater support.

Transportation priorities survey

Understanding how, why, and what kind of public transportation people use is crucial to determine the steps for improvement. Since public transportation requires a lot of resources, it's better to conduct a transportation survey to know beforehand what people think about it. When you have the data, strategic improvement of public transportation is much easier and less expensive.

Public library survey

Reading is an exercise for the mind and it's great to encourage people to use the library. But to know what influences citizens to visit the library more often, you should know what their current reading habits are. Simply asking them how often they visit the library, and what they would like the library to offer is a good way to start.

Town hall survey

You are wondering what people think about the latest town hall event? With the town hall survey, you'll get their honest opinions and feedback that you can use to make the next event better for everyone who's attending. Maybe they want more town hall events, or they want them to be shorter, but you'll never know if you don't ask!

Environmental issues survey

People are more and more concerned about environmental issues. Some issues such as extremely hot weather influence their everyday life, while some make people worry about the future. Use an environmental issues survey to see where your citizens stand when it comes to environmental issues, get ideas about how to solve them and build a better relationship with people all around your country.

Tips for efficient public sector surveys

Before you get to work, here are some simple tips to have in mind when creating public sector surveys:

• Use random sample surveys. You want to get data that represents the opinions of the majority of people. Obviously, you can't survey everyone. Instead, use a random sample that's big enough to get useful data.
• Don't overwhelm people with essay questions. Instead, combine them with multiple-choice, Likert scale, and yes or no questions.
• Use simple and straightforward language. Don't beat around the bush, you want people to fill out your survey with ease. Let them do the talking!

The best public survey templates have demographic questions as well. You want to know as much as possible about people who fill out the survey because only then you'll draw valuable conclusions. It's a good idea to also add psychographic questions. What's the difference between demographic and psychographic questions?

Demographic questions are based on facts, such as age, gender, education level, and average income. On the other hand, psychographic questions tell you more about a person's personality traits and beliefs. By including both in your public questionnaires, you'll get robust and comprehensive data and consequently make better decisions.

Public sector surveys questions and templates

We've talked theory enough, let's show you the public sector survey questions you could ask:

• Why do you visit the library?
• Are there any educational or community programs that you would like to see the library add?
• How many people in your household use the library?
• Are you interested in attending public meetings or workshops related to transportation issues?
• How important is rural public transportation?
• In a typical day, which of the following forms of transportation do you use?
• What format or formats would you like to see in future Town Hall events?
• What were your principal takeaways from this Town Hall event?

Public sector surveys offer a wealth of statistical data that can help design and implement a successful public policy. In other words, it's beneficial for every public sector organization. For instance, a survey should be conducted to determine what most people think about an existing issue, government decision or local policy.

Surveys can help you learn about public opinion and give you a better understanding of what's needed in your community. A well-designed survey can help you gather the right data and make decisions that will positively affect your work, service, or even business. Don't forget to clarify the privacy policy for your respondents.

Ready to start collecting data and improving the lives of your citizens in the way that matters most? With SurveyPlanet, you get SSL security, so don’t worry about data protection because we’ve got that covered. You also get a wide variety of public sector survey templates, so you don’t have to come up with the questions yourself. We take pride in how easy to use SurveyPlanet is, but you can only see that when you try it out. Sign up and tell us what you think!