Satisfaction with Local Authorities' Services

Outcome

Impact

% of target population satisfied with their last experience of using [specify the local authorities’ service]

The indicator measures the target population’s satisfaction with quality and accessibility of a certain type of local authority service (likely those whose quality your project aimed to improve). The indicator should be used only for services which are either used by a large part of the general population or by a very specific group of people - otherwise you will have difficulties gaining a representative number of respondents who can provide their opinion.

Determine the indicator’s value by using the following methodology:

1) Set clear indicator definitions and reference period.

• Specify which service is being assessed (e.g., health centre, waste collection, water supply, municipal permit application, social protection service) and identify the responsible service provider.

• Define the reference period for assessing satisfaction (e.g. “in the past 12 months”).

• Clarify which population group is targeted by the service (e.g. all residents, registered service users, beneficiaries of a specific programme).

2) Design the satisfaction survey questions using the examples below:

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)

Q1: In the past [specify the time period], have you used [specify the service] provided by [specify the provider]?

A1: yes / no / not sure

(ask the following question only if the previous answer is YES)

Q2: I would like to understand to what extent you were satisfied with using [specify the service]. Were you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, rather dissatisfied or very dissatisfied?

A2:

1) very satisfied

2) fairly satisfied

3) rather dissatisfied

4) very dissatisfied

5) doesn’t remember/won’t say

 

3) Collect data through household surveys or exit interviews with a representative sample of the service users.

4) To calculate the indicator’s value, divide the number of people who were “very satisfied” or “fairly satisfied” by the total number of respondents (exclude those who didn’t use the service, didn’t remember, or refused to respond). Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

Disaggregate the data by gender, age, population group, urban / rural location, or other context-relevant categories, as feasible and appropriate.

1) It is highly recommended to include additional survey questions to better understand the main reasons for respondent's (dis)satisfaction with the given service. The following questions can be used as examples:

Q3: What were the main reasons for your satisfaction with the service?

A3: pre-define the options based on the context and pre-testing (e.g. accessibility, timeliness, fairness, staff behaviour, affordability, quality, reliability, etc.) + include an option “other – specify: …………………………………….”

Q4: What were the main reasons for your dissatisfaction with the service?

A4: pre-define the options based on the context and pre-testing (e.g. accessibility, timeliness, fairness, staff behaviour, affordability, quality, reliability, etc.) + include an option “other – specify: …………………………………….”

If deeper insight into the reported reasons for people's (dis)satisfaction is needed, collect this information through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, or additional survey questions. Document key drivers and use these insights to interpret trends and inform service improvement.

2) Use a larger sample. Unless you know in advance that all your respondents have used the service, your survey sample will need to be relatively large, so that even when you exclude people who have not used the service, you will still have a representative number of respondents.

3) If you do not have the capacity to conduct a quantitative survey on a representative sample, consider changing the indicator to a qualitative one, for example Extent to which target population was satisfied with their last experience of using [specify the local authorities’ service] and use qualitative approaches and methodologies instead.

4) If your project has a strong Gender Equality and Social Inclusion component, assess whether satisfaction levels differ for marginalised or underrepresented groups and whether they face specific barriers in accessing or using the service. Such groups may include women, youth, persons with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. Examine whether these groups feel they were treated fairly, received adequate information, or experienced discrimination, and use these insights to recommend ways to make the service more inclusive, accessible, and responsive to diverse users.

5) For EU-funded projects, consider the following OPSYS indicator instead (more options can be found on Predefined indicators for design and monitoring of EU-funded interventions website): Percentage of the population satisfied with essential service delivery (disaggregated by population group, age, sex, and location - urban/peri-urban/rural).