It is almost that time!
We are about to enter the thunder-dome ladies and gentlemen. We are about to survey our little monsters. Don't worry...it's not like they evaluate us or our ideas or our Club or anything...
Some great things about this survey though are that we have some real, tangible answers around where we can improve our Clubs! While it is nerve-wracking and time-consuming, it does pay off. Over the year, I have developed some great tips to get the most out of your survey experience. These things might not work for all of you, but hopefully they can make this process a bit more enjoyable for some! So buckle up lil baby bears. *please remember that these are only ideas and BGCA should be utilized for specific requirements.
Attend the NYOI Webinar
Each year BGCA releases a webinar about NYOI. It lasts about an hour and 30 minutes. It is invaluable and can help you understand the importance of the survey, proper implementation, and, thanks to it's interactive nature, you can ask any questions you may have.
Take the NYOI Survey Questionnaire
Also provided by BGCA, this questionnaire asks you questions that ensure you understand the basics of the survey. This should be taken after the webinar as most of the questions are pulled from it.
Prepare NYOI Club Cards
Prepare a list or individual cards for members ahead of time including: Member Name, Member Age, and Member ID Number. If your members do not already know this information, this can save you valuable time! See sample below:
Name: Harris, Brandy
Member #: 5841
Gender: F
Age: 10
DOB: 8/7/2005
Passive Consent
This is the best way to ensure parents know about the survey. Make a sign and provide the passive consent forms (provided by BGCA) for any parent not willing to let their child participate. Remember to have a copy of the survey questions at the front desk. No parent can take this home. It is for reference at the Club only.
Practice & Test
Become familiar with questions before survey implementation.
Practice reading questions before implementation for clarity purposes.
Test computers to ensure connection is secure and works correctly.
Reading Questions
If members are 9-12, you must read questions aloud. Be clear and concise. Practice will help this.
Appropriate Clarification of Questions Become familiar with how you can help clarify questions. For example, when the survey asks “How many staff could you go to if you needed help?” If a members asks who the staff are, make sure you list all staff members to avoid leading answers.
Immediate Incentive and Incentive Party
Determine what your members like. Use their suggestions to create an exciting party. Instead of or in addition to you could provide immediate incentive (small prize, food, etc.). Advertise your party too to excite members! (See a flyer you can use HERE)
Small Group Implementation
This is, in my opinion, the single most important aspect in ensuring good survey results. Implement the survey in small groups (5-6 at a time, 10 at the most). While this takes longer, there are fewer distractions, more of an intimate survey implementation environment, and helps for clarity.
Survey Implementation Timeline
Start implementing your survey as soon as possible. Your goal is to achieve 100% of your ADA of members who fall in the ages of 9-18. In order to ensure you are not rush, start early. Use the remaining time to get those last few members to take the survey. The closer you get to Spring Break, the more difficult it will be.
Important Resources for NYOI Survey Implementation
It is smart to have a few key people with your organization in charge to handle questions or help guide you during this process. For example, someone can be in charge of:
Technical Questions/Concerns
Organizational Questions/Concerns
Implementation, Training, or Incentive Questions/Concerns
If you do not have the luxury of experience NYOI-ers, please utilize BGCA as they are always willing to help! These are from last year, but helped tremendously.
https://nyoisurvey.com/SurveyResources/ will provide you with all the resources you need (consents, survey guide, etc.)
Emailing nyoisurveyhelp@srbi.com will help you with survey questions that cannot be answered by your organizational contacts.
Emailing Measurement@bgca.org will help you if you need more information about the survey if you need additional assistance past what can be provided by organization