Partnering With Your Council

Parish Surveys Q&A

Q1

What does it cost?

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For short surveys (up to around 10-15 questions, taking less than 5 minutes to complete), there is no cost to the council. If a longer or more in-depth survey is needed (up to around 20-30 questions / 10 minutes), there may be a modest charge to cover programming and reporting costs — but we’ll always provide a clear estimate up front.

Q2

How long does a survey take to run?

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Typically 2–4 weeks from initial discussion to final results, depending on survey length and the time allowed for residents to respond. It can be longer if you need it to be... we'll support your requirement as much as necessary.

Q3

Who owns the data/results?

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The council receives a full set of results for your survey. What Cornwall Thinks retains anonymised data only for research purposes and to invite participants to join the panel.

Q4

What about GDPR and data protection?

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All surveys are fully compliant with GDPR and the Market Research Society Code of Conduct. We do not collect personal data unless it is essential for the research, and any such data is handled under strict research guidelines.

Q5

Do you help with designing the questions?

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Yes. We will advise on the survey content to ensure clarity, neutrality and best practice, while making sure it captures the information you need.

Q6

How long can a survey be?

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We generally recommend surveys take no longer than around 10 minutes (about 20-30 questions) to keep residents engaged and ensure good response quality. The free service covers shorter surveys (up to 5 minutes / 10-15 questions), while longer surveys can still be supported at modest cost.

Q7

Are the surveys online only?

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Yes, the free service is designed for online surveys only — the most efficient way to reach residents and gather responses. If your council requires a non-digital option (for example, a paper copy for residents without internet access), we can provide a printable version of the survey and a data entry/processing service. This would carry an additional charge to cover the extra work involved, but ensures that those who prefer paper still have a voice in the consultation.

Q8

How are residents invited to take part?

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The council promotes the survey locally (e.g. newsletter, website, social media, posters), and we provide the survey link. Once residents complete the survey, they’re invited to join What Cornwall Thinks if they wish.

Q9

What’s in it for What Cornwall Thinks?

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Our goal is to make sure every part of Cornwall is represented in county-wide insights. By inviting your residents to join, we strengthen the breadth and balance of the panel.

Q10

Can the survey be branded for our parish council?

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Yes — the survey will show that it is on behalf of [Parish/Town] Council, while also carrying the What Cornwall Thinks brand.

Q11

What sort of output do we get?

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We provide results in an easy-to-read format (summary report or dataset, depending on your preference).

Q12

We already run our own parish surveys — why would we use What Cornwall Thinks?

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Many councils are very capable of running surveys themselves, and this offer isn’t intended to replace that. The benefit of using What Cornwall Thinks is that your survey is supported by an experienced and independent research agency (PFA Research). This ensures clarity, neutrality and compliance with professional standards (MRS Code of Conduct), while giving residents reassurance that results are gathered and reported without bias. We also handle the technical side — programming, hosting and data processing — saving your council time and effort. Importantly, residents who take part are also invited to join the What Cornwall Thinks panel, helping ensure your community’s voice is represented in wider county-wide discussions as well as in your local consultation.