Overview of data collection methods

Qualitative and quantitative data to inform KPIs can be collected via several methods (click to jump to section):

An overview of each of these methods including KPI relevance, frequency, and usage considerations is provided to aid practitioner understanding of these methods.

Received data/information

Received data/information relates to material that has been directly submitted or provided to the company from stakeholders. This material may include general feedback forms (including forms provided at engagement events), complaints or grievances and can be provided via the external grievance mechanism or submitted via the relevant company channels.

Given that the data is provided directly by stakeholders, it does not require active involvement by the company beyond the establishment of the initial mechanisms to appropriately solicit feedback and grievances.

  • KPI relevance – the data collection method relies on information submitted/provided by stakeholders and therefore is typically used by companies to inform lagging indicators (e.g. percentage of complaints/ grievances received that are resolved within the timeframe agreed to as part of the grievance mechanism).
  • Frequency – no established frequency (occurs based on stakeholder submission) but likely to be received during higher instances and/or more intense project/ operation activity.
  • Usage consideration – data/information is generally used by companies to inform lagging indicator metrics which apply to company-wide KPIs or scorecards. Information can be included on dashboards or presented internally through monthly, quarterly or annual reporting.

Internal team activities

Company personnel (e.g. stakeholder engagement practitioners, engineering team members, etc.) involved in undertaking a project/activity can provide data to inform KPIs as they are typically involved in carrying out stakeholder engagement activities, employing the various engagement techniques/tools, and utilising the associated communication methods.

  • KPI relevance – the method provides data relevant to the stakeholder engagement activities conducted by the company. Accordingly, the KPIs of relevance are those which directly relate to stakeholder activities/ events where internal team members will be present (e.g. number of stakeholders engaged at events/ engagement activities identified within the stakeholder engagement strategy/plan over a designated period).
  • Frequency – will be in accordance with the relevant stakeholder engagement strategy/plan, which has been developed to suit the local context. As such, the frequency may vary depending on the stakeholder and stage of the project/activity.
  • Usage considerations – data/information arising from stakeholder engagement activities conducted should be recorded in the appropriate data management system to be retrieved for use in informing KPIs.
LightbulbTip: Details pertaining to stakeholder engagement activities undertaken by a company/practitioner should be recorded to provide both a written record of the event, as well as input into KPI reporting.

Third party sources

Third party sources can play an important role in providing data/information to inform KPIs, particularly in situations where the company and/or practitioners are still in the process of building a relationship, where communities are difficult to access, or there are other context-specific issues preventing the company from directly collecting data.

Third party sources may comprise NGOs, academic institutions (e.g. universities or technical institutes), community-based organisations, media or government departments.

  • KPI relevance – the data collected through this method may be broad (i.e. involve a number of components) and relate to multiple KPIs or can be limited to a particular KPI (e.g. stakeholder concerns or perceptions of the company) dependent upon the third party involved.
  • Frequency – frequency will be dependent upon an agreed arrangement with the third party, however, would likely need to conform to periods of company reporting (e.g. quarterly or annually) to be relevant to KPI monitoring. Data collection will also be influenced by the length of third party involvement in the process (e.g. short-term or long-term).
  • Usage consideration – as the data has been provided by a third party, the company will need to ensure that suitable data validation processes are undertaken by the company to assure the data inputs. Additionally, if third parties are used there may be issues associated with stakeholder involvement (i.e. reluctance to engage, stakeholder sensitivity or security concerns) and data management that will need to be appropriately worked through by the company.
LightbulbTip: It is important for companies and practitioners to ensure that any data/information collected (formally or informally) to inform KPIs is appropriately managed internally to maintain confidentiality.

Direct community liaison

The company may employ community liaison officers (CLOs), or equivalent, to directly engage with stakeholders relevant to the project/activity being conducted. This could be in the form of opening a ‘shop-front’ within the community or employing members of the local community to act on behalf of the company and engage with stakeholders on a regular basis.

  • KPI relevance – the data collected by CLOs (or equivalent) can be both qualitative and quantitative. CLOs may be able to assist with carrying out surveys or handle direct queries/concerns from stakeholders. Additionally, CLOs can act as an extension of the company within the local community and therefore can provide important information related to community perceptions and attitudes.
  • Frequency – in most instances, CLOs should be employed by companies on an ongoing basis within affected communities and therefore data should be provided regularly (i.e. daily or weekly updates). CLOs could be contracted on a shorter-term if project activities are limited.
  • Usage considerations – the sensitivities that may surround the data/information from CLOs needs to be appropriately managed. Consideration also needs to be given to who is employed as a CLO, taking account of local community dynamic and socio-cultural factors.

Community surveys

Community surveys (e.g. community perception surveys (CPS) or pulse surveys) provide a valuable resource to gather a volume of information at one time, pertinent to informing KPIs for a project/activity.

When prepared for and conducted well, a community survey can provide an understanding as to how a project/ activity and/or company is perceived by the community (trust/attitude); identify how a community surrounding a project/activity or operation may interact with that project/activity or operation and provide insight into ways in which companies or practitioners can better engage with stakeholders in affected communities.

  • KPI relevance – several of the example KPIs included in this guidance directly benefit from the information garnered through a community survey. This is because community surveys are able to provide a range of quantitative and qualitative information and the questions in the survey can be tailored to the specific KPIs being used by the company.
  • Frequency – typically conducted on a regular basis (i.e. annually, three-yearly, or five-yearly). This timeframe however can be scaled to the project/ activity or operation and may change throughout the period of the project/activity or operation to suit the circumstances. For instance, a company many conduct a community survey annually for the first three years of an operation, but then decide to reduce to a three-yearly period. A shorter/more targeted survey (i.e. pulse survey) could then be conducted in the intervening years.
  • Usage consideration – there are low-cost options when it comes to delivering community surveys. For best results, practitioners will need to directly engage with stakeholders, which could prove difficult in circumstances where stakeholders are less willing to engage and/or hard to access.

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