Evaluating your program > Interviewing and surveying members

Interviewing and surveying members

Getting member feedback is often a regular part of any program. It may be the first indicator that a particular aspect of a program or activity is working or not.

Interviews can provide rich information, but they take time and expertise. Surveys are quicker but may not provide opportunities for clarification. Either way, you should do your best to make sure that the questions are asked in a consistent way. For example, if you want to know how many members are active on a regular basis, you need to make sure that the question is asked in the same way to all members. Among other things, this would mean being clear about what you mean by "active" and "regular".

For more detailed information about doing interviews and surveys, and to see sample surveys you could adapt, look at the following tools in Resources: Program Tools:

• Program Tool 19 - Tips for interviewing and surveying members
• Program Tool 20 - Sample questions for members
• Program Tool 21 - Member satisfaction survey can help you to identify whether members are satisfied with programs and activities. However, this tool is very general. It may not be able to identify the specific aspects of the program or activity that were well received or those with which members were unhappy. For more detailed information, you will want to supplement the tool with specific questions about features of your activity or program.