Canadian Govt trials in-house research analysis to save costs
According to a report in The Ottawa Citizen, the federal government has begun to analyse some of the public opinion surveys it commissions rather than use the impartial analysis of the polling companies themselves – four out of 20 studies have been analysed in-house in the last six months. The newspaper claims that the result is that some findings have become less transparent.
A government spokesperson is quoted as saying the shift to internal analysis is “one way departments are doing their part to help reduce overall costs for taxpayers”.
“This practice not only saves analysis and reporting costs, but also permits tracking and comparison of results over time,” the spokesman said. “Choosing to conduct analysis in-house or externally will vary depending upon the project, budget and capacity.”
The move follows criticism of massive government cuts in spending on public opinion research which have left policy-makers and civil servants with less evidence to work with.
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2 Comments
Doris Hamilton
13 years ago
WTH?! It is not immediately apparent how disregarding impartial analysis by highly experienced professionals is an improvement. Market researchers should be concerned. Still, if resources from Statistics Canada are brought into play,this may work. Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists will go nuts!
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Anon
13 years ago
Speaking as the Research Manager of a large UK retailer, this move by the Canadian Government could be significant forward thinking. Impartiality issues aside (we don't have the same level of challenge in this area), I’m frequently finding the value that we receive from agency analysis and the insight they apply simply doesn’t pay for itself. I’m yet to work with an agency which can truly deliver on its promise of actionable insight – with tracking studies as the worst offenders. I can see this as an expanding area of experimentation for clients on the future.
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