Basic Instructions for analyzing the Meaningful Engagement surveys

Analyzing the surveys – InstructionsFor use with the instruments in “Meaningful Engagement of People with Lived Experience” by Otiende and Ash, 2023.

1. Calculate the average score for each question for each survey type.
To calculate the average, you add the total of all the individual numerical scores for that question, and then divide it by how many numerical scores you added. SKIP ALL “X” RESPONSES. Help: Calculating mean average.

If you are planning to use the spreadsheet, you are done with manual calculations and can open the sheet now!

2. Fill in the Average Score Chart (ASC)
For each “indicator” that has only 1 question on a survey type, you can just write in the average score for that question for that survey. For each indicator that has more than one question on a survey type, you will calculate the average score for that indicator by adding the average score for each question that asks about that indicator, and then dividing by the number of questions for that indicator.

3. Calculate the total percent for each level of the spectrum on the ASC.
At this point, the fastest way to do this is to add up all the average scores of each indicator in that level, then divide it by the maximum possible score that level. For example, there are 6 indicators in the “Inform” level, so that maximum possible score if all indicators had an average score of 2 is 12. Convert your decimal to a percentage.

4. Copy the percentages for each level onto the Ladder Results Table & Discuss.
The first part of this is easy, as you are just copying the numbers from the ACS to the Ladder Results Table. The second part may involve facilitating a team discussion with the organization’s leadership to review some of the results and identify high-level strengths and weakness. Take notes in the strengths and weaknesses tables.

5. Identify the target level & write it into the top of the Priority Score Worksheet (PSW).
Rather than work on all levels at once and get overwhelmed, an organization should choose one level to target first until it is significantly improved. The target level is the first level at which the organization does not score 75% or higher.

6. Complete the PSW via team discussion.
Add any indicators from that level that have an average score of lower than 1.5 into the PSW. Facilitate a team discussion to estimate the potential impact/importance of improving each indicator on a scale of 1 (wouldn’t change much) to 5 (this is an essential change). Next, score the potential staffing resources, funding, or effort required to improve, on a scale of 1 (one of our existing employees could likely do this in the next few months) to 5 (we would need to write a whole new grant to fund at least one new full-time employee to do this). For each, write in how you might make this change last or be sustainable. Add any additional notes in the notes column.

7. Complete the Priority Matrix & discuss.
Place items into the matrix where they belong based on the PSW. This will help the organization decide which indicators to improve first. The organization can now develop an action plan determining who will take point on managing each indicator’s improvements, what they will do and how, and the expected timeline for each improvement.

8. Work the process & reassess
After completion of the action plan for that level, repeat steps 5-8 for the next level up the ladder that the organization has scored below 75% on.
Make a plan to re-assess using the full evaluation every 1-3 years.

View a printable pdf infographic here: Analyzing the Surveys

More resources and tools: https://nationalsurvivornetwork.org/meaningfulengagement/