MARCO regional Waikato perception survey 2013 : regional overview report

Report: TR 2013/37

Author: International Research Consultants Ltd

Abstract

Choosing Futures Waikato (CFW) was established in 2004 as a collaboration comprising representatives of staff from Waikato Regional Council, Hamilton City Council, various district councils from the region, Waikato District Health Board, NZ Police, Ministry of Social Development, and the Department of Internal Affairs.

CFW facilitated the identification of the regional community outcomes for the Waikato region. In addition, a working group of technical staff from local and central government agencies was formed to develop a framework and processes to monitor and report progress of the region’s community outcomes (MARCO), including the selection of suitable indicators.

In 2006, MARCO identified a broad range of measures (approx 190) with a smaller core set of 75 indicator measures that could be used to measure progress towards the region’s community outcomes. A number of those core indicators (about 15 - 20) were measures that require data to be collected through a survey.

Choosing Futures Waikato was disestablished following the amendments to the Local Government Act 2011, which revoked the mandatory requirement for councils to identify community outcomes and to track and report on progress towards them. However, the multi-agency MARCO group continued the gathering and reporting of the 75 core indicators to provide ongoing key information of the communities economic, social/cultural and environmental wellbeing.

The first ‘Waikato Regional Perception Survey’ was undertaken in May/June 2007. The 2010 survey was an update of the 2007 project and follows basically the same parameters as 2007.

The third Waikato Regional Perception Survey was undertaken in June 2013. The 2013 survey was an update of the 2010 project and follows basically the same parameters as 2010 and 2007.

• 713 interviews were completed (a minimum of 70 per participating TA, with a representative proportion included for the TAs not financially participating (Taupo 59 interviews, Hauraki 33 interviews, Otorohanga 16 interviews, Waitomo 15 interviews and Rotorua 6 interviews). However, in 2013 extra interviews were conducted for Hamilton (181 interviews) to reduce the impact of weighting TA’s to represent the regional balance.
• 22 topics were covered with a total of 74 sub-questions asked.
• Three councils took up the option (charged separately to each council) for additional interviews to reduce margins of error and / or to include additional question(s).

MARCO regional Waikato perception survey 2013 : regional overview report [PDF, 2.5 MB]

Further information, including a report on all verbatim comments from survey respondents and specific reports for Hamilton City and some districts can be found at www.choosingfutures.co.nz/Publications/.