BOARD02064

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/2002
• Description: OWC Section - Drought and Water Supply Assessment
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Section 4
Project Approach (RFP Section 4.6)

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by each researcher are randomly ch~cked and followed by periodic callbacks to
authenticate work performed. This in:).portant function enhances thequaJity control
of a project and virtually guarantees the professionalism and consistency of the
interviews. ' ' ,

There is also an important human/relational side to telephone surveys. With the exception of
direct in-person interviews, no other form of research lends itself as well to the high level of
personal contact and hence impact on customer relationships and corporate goodwill. No other
approach allows the,researcher to as effectively convey the degree to which the respondent's
viewpoint,counts as well as the Client's appreciation for the respondent's participation.
Furthermore, interviewers can use this opportUnity to relay important inforination, such as
drought planning resources and contact information~ as desired by the Client.

Secondary Methodologies

While the Bouvette Consulting Team expects the majority of data to be gathered through
telephone surveys, we plan to supplement 01l.r efforts through the use of other methodologies as
described below: '-

~ Mail/ Fax: Respondents will be <j.ttempted up to five times by telephone. For
those'respondents still not iIlterviewl!daJiter that method, questionnaires will be mailed
along with a self-addressed, stamped envelop. The questionnaire itself will be identical
,to the telephone instrument, excE!pt for, specialized instructions that guide the .
respondent through the process. ThE! same instrument could also or instead be faxed to
the respondent and faxed back, if the respondent preferred such a method.

Q E-mailfInternet: In our view, the Internet definitely has its place and is offering
more and more interesting research poss~bilities; Under the right conditions, it has the
potentW to be among the most accurat~ and cost-effective method of data gathering
available. RRMI anticipates that only a small percentage of contacts will have accurate
and available e-mail addresses, although we plan to update respondents' records
through our research process. However,' for those who have, e.mail addresses, this
option will be available too. The e-mail questionnaire will again be identical to the
telephone instrument, with speeiaJizE!d instructions.

t Personal Interviews: AchieYihga high response ratE! in the study is a
paramount priority for CWCBi therE!fore( if multiple telephone attempts, mail, fax, and
e-mail do not realize the required respor!se rate, then a member of our Team may go to
the respondent's location to conduct the' interview in person. Though this is the most
expensive method of data collection, we anticipate that the collection ,steps outlined
above will make personal interviews necessary for only a small sample of the contacts.

More than a decade of experience using mult;iple research methodolOgies has given us the
acumen to aChieve the lofty 90% response rate that is targeted for this study. Strong pre-survey
outreach will include mailers, e-mail, and prominent endorsements. Well-trained interviewers .
will expertly communicate the purpose of the survey and thereby encourage participation. In
this manner, even before ,the first call is placed, a base of interested and informed respondents

Section 4, Page 16