Show All Answers

1. I saw that the City of Norfolk surveyed residents about their opinions about city services. When was this done and why wasn’t I asked my opinion?

ETC Institute administered a resident survey for the City of Norfolk, VA during the fall of 2022. The survey was mailed to households across the city using a data base to ensure the sample was representative of our diverse population. After the mailed survey was completed, the city made copies of the same survey available on-line and in locations across the city to allow every resident who wished to do so to complete the survey. This opportunity was shared with residents through  the city web site, news stories and outreach in community facilities.

2. How many residents responded? Do they really represent Norfolk’s population?

922 residents responded to the mail survey. The survey asked people to describe their demographic information. To be considered representative of our residents, a total of 750 responses were needed.  It was great that our residents responded well above the minimum needed. The demographic information which people provided was  compared to the U.S. Census information to make certain the residents answering the survey were similar to the Norfolk population as identified in the 2020 Census. 

313 responses were received in the second phase of the survey responses. Since this part of the survey could be completed by any resident, it does not reflect all the Norfolk population. While not representative, these responses were important to capture the priorities and opinions of any resident who wished to be included in the responses.

3. Why did Norfolk conduct a survey and why was it in 2022?

The purpose of the survey was to objectively assess resident satisfaction with the delivery of City services and to gather input about priorities for the City. This is the first resident survey conducted since 2014. Our plan is to conduct a survey every two years so we can measure progress on work towards what residents identified as important for focus.

4. What will be done with the results?

City administration and staff will review the feedback and make appropriate improvements in programs and services.  While not every need may be addressed immediately, the priorities will help identify what residents think is most important to work on in the next two years. Listening to you, our citizens, is critical to our effort of becoming a Well-Managed Government.

5. The results talk about statistical significance and MOE. What does all that mean?

A randomized sample survey is one in which the people responding are chosen at random by the organization conducting the survey. The respondents don’t sign up to participate. 

Every randomized sample survey attempts to estimate a measurement for the full population being studied by measuring a small sample. There will always be some difference between the sample and the population.  Researchers estimate how much this difference is by using two related statistics: the MOE (Margin of Error) and the confidence interval. The 2022 resident survey has an MOE of  +/- 3.2% with a confidence interval of 95%. This means that the true population measurement for the questions on this survey would fall within 3.2% of the sample measurement 95% of the time. In only 5% (100% - 95%) of the possible measures would the population measure more than 3.2% difference.

6. Where can I get a copy of the survey results?

The survey results are available on the City of Norfolk Open Data Portal.

dataset link: https://data.norfolk.gov/Government/Resident-Survey-2022/qure-5p8r 

Also available on the City webpage is a data Dashboard which can help you explore results by specific questions, demographic, ward, and other parameters.

7. Where can I get a printed copy of the survey results?

Due to the length (over 250 pages) of the survey report, we are not providing printed copies.

We will be making printed copies of the report available at libraries and will add that information when they are in place.