Factsheet: Questionnaire Tool

Definition

A questionnaire is a list of questions that is used to gain useable information from certain persons (respondents). When a questionnaire is sent to the respondents to be returned by mail we speak of a ‘written inquiry’. When the questions are posed by phone or face to face, we speak of an oral inquiry. When questions are phrased in an open way and extensive answers can be expected, we generally speak of an interview. An important criterion for usable information is the comparability of the answers from different respondents.

Application objectives

Gaining useable information from stakeholders. Eliciting stakeholder perspectives (how they view the problem) and possibly acquiring lay knowledge about the water system.

Pertinent participation process phase(s)

	1.	Starting organization
	2.	Actors analysis, context
	3.	Diagnostic of the current situation
	4.	Search of solutions
	5.	Implementation, evaluation

Application method

Questionnaires are in principle one-way communication tools. In order to use them for Social Learning they are to be used in a larger framework of interactive communication between government and citizens. They could be used, for example, to assess whether public opinion has changed as a result of policy and/or government campaigns and may thereby form a basis for further governmental action.

Application example(s)

Interviews were performed as basis for scenario development in order to support the development of flood management strategies for the Rhine and Meuse basins in the context of integrated river management (van Asselt, M. B. A. et al., 2001).

Example tools

WB4 plans to make a questionnaire tool available. A lot of tools are available on http://sourceforge.net; some examples:

Socrates Questionnaire Engine: Socrates QE provides a framework for
editing and publishing questionnaires on the web, and collecting data.
http://socrates-qe.sourceforge.net/.
Other projects on sourceforge do not provide specific information on the tools:
- Shared Questionnaire System: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sqsxml;
- PHPMySql questionnaire: http://sourceforge.net/projects/questionnaire;
- Qmaster: http://sourceforge.net/projects/qmaster.

AquaStress contact(s)

Flip Dirksen, RIZA (p.w.dirksen@riza.rws.minvenw.nl)

Reference

Asselt M.B.A. van, H. Middelkoop, S.A. van 't Klooster , M. Haasnoot , W.P.A. van Deursen, M. van Gemert, J.C.J. Kwadijk, H. Buiteveld, G.P. Konnen , P. Valkering and J. Rotmans,, 2001, Integrated water management strategies for the Rhine and Meuse basins in a changing environment : RIVM Report no. 410200081, ISBN: 90-5851 –075-1, 168 pages.

Pierre Maurel, P. (editor), 2003, “Public Participation And The European Water Framework Directive- Role Of Information And Communication Tools, 86 pages. For download: http://www.harmonicop.info/_files/_down/ICTools.pdf