Quest/NBS is managed on behalf of Sport England by Right Directions in partnership with Leisure-net Solutions
Quest & NBS Helpline 01603 813 703
NBS FAQ's
- When should the user survey be conducted?
- Over how many days should you survey users?
- How many completed user survey questionnaires should be provided?
- What about a small centre where achieving 350 completed questionnaires is difficult?
- Is it possible to add questions to the standard NBS questionnaire?
- Which survey method is better: self-completion or interviewer-administered questionnaire?
- Who should administer the user survey: in-house staff or external market researchers?
- How many people do I need for interviewing/ distributing questionnaires?
- Should interviewers approach every 'nth' person or every 'nth' person they think is eligible?
- Who should supervise the user survey interviewers/distributors? Does the survey manager have to be present all the time?
- What do we put in the user survey questionnaire coding boxes at the top of the first page?
- Who should be surveyed?
- How long after submitting data will the reporting take?
- How does NBS relate to Quest and other quality management schemes?
Q. When should the user survey be conducted?
A. In as normal a period of use as possible, (nb avoid school holidays).
Q. Over how many days should you survey users?
A. Nine preferably, including two weekends, but seven if nine is not feasible.
Q. How many completed user survey questionnaires should be provided?
A. 350 completed questionnaires, i.e. not including refusals and ineligible people.
Q. What about a small centre where achieving 350 completed questionnaires is difficult?
A. If the completed sample falls short of 350 it will be processed, the results will be less reliable but still valid and useful for reporting and management planning. If necessary the survey period can be extended beyond 9 days.
Q. Is it possible to add questions to the standard NBS questionnaire?
A. No, the questionnaire is standardised.
Q. Which survey method is better: self-completion or interviewer-administered questionnaire?
A. We advise interviewer-administered because then the way in which responses are recorded is controlled – it is important to enter crosses in appropriate boxes, in black ink. However, either method is satisfactory as long as it is organised properly, the most important thing is to follow the guidelines for appropriate sampling and administration of the survey.
Q. Who should administer the user survey: in-house staff or external market researchers?
A. Experience leads us to recommend using external market researchers and NBS can provide trained market researchers to carry out your work. External market research is often more reliable and cost-effective. In-house administration of surveys can be more prone to errors in survey method, regardless of the commitment and dedication of the local survey management.
Q. How many people do I need for interviewing/ distributing questionnaires?
A. All entrances and exits at the centre need to be covered al all times during the survey period.
Q. Should interviewers approach every 'nth' person or every 'nth' person they think is eligible?
A. Every 'nth' person. Some of these will be ineligible.
Q. Who should supervise the user survey interviewers/distributors? Does the survey manager have to be present all the time?
A. The survey manager does not have to be present whenever surveying is done but there should be a point of contact for any questions. A manager or supervisor should make regular checks that correct procedures are being followed.
Q. What do we put in the user survey questionnaire coding boxes at the top of the first page?
A. You must make sure each separate questionnaire has the name of the centre on the top of the first page, so that the questionnaires for different centres can be easily identified. The interviewer/distributor also needs to put in the actual date and the time of day that the interview takes place or that each respondent is given the questionnaire to complete. Finally, after completion, the interviewer/distributor needs to put their initials in the boxes at the bottom of the last page of each questionnaire.
Q. Who should be surveyed?
A. The first page of the NBS Guidance document specifies who should and should not be surveyed. The minimum age for survey respondents is 11 years. You need to display posters and flyers notifying people, especially parents, about the survey and the fact that it will include children aged 11 years and above. Parental permission is essential for all children.
Q. How long after submitting data will the reporting take?
A. Four weeks typically, between the submission of satisfactory data and dispatch of the NBS report. If the data is submitted before or after the date agreed, the reporting may take longer than four weeks if there is a queue of centres being analysed and reported.
Q. How does NBS relate to Quest and other quality management schemes?
A. The two types of systems, performance measurement and quality management, are complementary.The NBS provides measures of performance outcomes, compared with national benchmarks. This evidence fits very well into quality management schemes - such schemes set frameworks and systems within which the NBS performance measures have an important place.
