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• Multimodal Surveys

  Responsive Management conducts multimodal surveys using a combination of phone, text message, mail, and online data contact options. The multimodal approach guarantees the best possible coverage and response rates for the study population by providing several different ways for respondents to take the survey. This approach minimizes bias by encouraging participation in the survey via the mode with which respondents are most comfortable. For instance, older people may be more comfortable participating in a survey by phone or by mail, whereas younger people are often more likely to respond to a survey online or when prompted by a text message. With several options for participating in the survey, the multimodal approach allows for optimal representation of the overall study population.

• Telephone Surveys

Telephone surveys remain one of the most accurate and reliable methods of obtaining data that is representative of the general population. Due to the near universality of mobile and/or landline phone ownership and minimized respondent burden, surveys conducted via phone yield higher response rates, increase the representativeness of the sample, and reduce bias relative to surveys without a telephone component.

• Mail Surveys

  Mail surveys are effective in a variety of settings, most notably when contacting named respondents, when contacting respondents who are unlikely or unwilling to respond by telephone or other media, or when delivering some sort of stimulus about which a response will be measured. Responsive Management designs hard copy paper surveys; provides services for printing and layout of surveys; coordinates printing and assembly; and distributes surveys via postal mail.

• Online Surveys

  Appropriately designed online surveys can be a cost-effective mode of data collection, especially for targeting or engaging specific segments of the population, such as young people. Online surveys are also effective in augmenting response rates when respondents contacted through another medium (such as by mail or phone) indicate that they would prefer an alternative method of responding.

• Focus Groups

  Responsive Management has been conducting focus groups since 1990 and has conducted more than 500 on natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. Focus groups entail in-depth, structured discussions with small groups of participants about select subjects. Focus groups are an accepted research technique for qualitative explorations of attitudes, opinions, perceptions, motivations, constraints, participation, and behaviors. They provide researchers with new insights, hypotheses, and understanding through the process of group interaction.

• Personal Interviews

  Personal interviews are an excellent research method when there are highly knowledgeable individuals whose expertise is needed for the understanding of an issue. Personal interviews can also be used prior to survey design, prior to focus group design, or as a method of understanding the specific technical nature of a project. Personal interviews allow for open conversation between Responsive Management staff and individuals in a one-on-one setting.

• Needs Assessments

  A needs assessment is a systematic exploration and analysis of “the way things are” and “the way things ought to be.” A need is not a want or desire, but rather a gap between the current situation and the optimal situation. Using both qualitative and quantitative research, a needs assessment identifies gaps in training, programs, services, and/or outreach efforts. Needs assessments can be used to identify and solve performance problems in order to direct an agency’s or organization’s future planning efforts.

• Program Evaluations

  Program evaluations measure the effectiveness and success of programs, policies, services, or organizations, and identify areas of potential improvement. A program evaluation can be used to measure what is working and what is not.

• Literature Reviews

  Literature reviews are a research method of examining data from a variety of sources that ultimately results in the compilation of known information on a subject. Useful and pertinent information can be extracted from a variety of sources ranging from journal articles to internal agency/organization reports and databases. By compiling information that already exists on a topic into a single source, literature reviews can synthesize information into a concise and highly informative report.

• Economic Analyses

  Responsive Management typically conducts economic analyses using a multi-step process to estimate expenditures and their implications. Economic analyses identify overall contributions as well as direct, indirect, and induced impacts (i.e., the economic multiplier effect).

• Marketing and Communication Plans

  Responsive Management has substantial experience conducting research to inform marketing and communications plans for agencies and organizations. Marketing is a deliberate and orderly step-by-step process that begins with people (markets) and ends with programs, products, services, and strategies.

  Like marketing, the discipline of communications is highly specialized involving the creation of a strategic plan to convey specific messages to a targeted audience. Communications plans help agencies and organizations communicate to the public, their constituents, and stakeholders in a more compelling manner about issues of importance.

• Message Development and Testing

  A specific aspect of marketing and communications research entails the development of messages for specific target audiences. Responsive Management typically develops and tests messages, key words, and phrases through both surveys and focus groups.