The Science and Technology Facilities Council is an independent, non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS). It was formed in April 2007 and currently has 2000 staff spread across five UK sites and two overseas establishments. The STFC is a science-driven organisation, making it possible for a broad range of scientists to conduct the highest quality research tackling some of the most fundamental scientific questions..
The Business Requirement
Considerable change has occurred within STFC and there was a need to provide an informed baseline for internal communications. This would be a bench mark for future evaluations on staff perception of the extent to which STFC engages with them, the level and clarity of impact that is made, whether the communications-channels provide effective delivery and what channels staff prefer and what they actually use.
STFC decided that a staff survey was required to establish the benchmark for staff communications. The outcome of which would inform and refine the Internal Communications programme and feed into the overall Communications Strategy.
STFC conducted a procurement exercise for a survey partner that offered a full survey service including requirements-gathering, survey design, detailed analysis and reporting. The competition was won by Sigmer Technologies which provided a high-quality service at a competitive cost.
The Sigmer Solution
The Sigmer Team, lead by Professor Charles Jackson, a senior academic in the field of occupational psychology, identified and designed an on-line attitude survey that would gather the response data necessary for the establishment of the benchmark. The on-line survey was augmented by 'clipboard' surveys at key locations where staff were asked by canvassers to complete a questionnaire. Paper questionnaires were entered into the on-line survey to create a consolidated database.
The survey was treated as anonymous and staff were encouraged to be open and honest in their responses.
Sigmer provided the STFC Project Team with an on-line survey report portal which allowed them, at any time during and after the survey, to view a dynamically-created report of responses.
The final response dataset was analysed and a detailed report prepared for STFC.
The Result
The survey has been a considerable success for STFC and it has provide much useful information as to the attitudes and preferences of staff with regard to internal communications.
Yinka Opaneye, HR Generalist, Jubilee Hall Clubs:
“Sigmer was friendly and highly efficient. Rather than constantly telling me what wasn't possible, there was real collaboration."
