Introduction
On behalf of all 15 local authorities across Greater Essex, Essex County Council commissioned The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to conduct research with Greater Essex residents to support the evidence gathering process used to inform the business cases for LGR in Greater Essex.
The research was exploratory and gathered an in-depth understanding of the views of a representative cross-section of Greater Essex residents to inform work on LGR. The research explored how councils could operate in the future, resident priorities, opportunities and concerns, and perceived impacts, and opportunities for stronger community engagement and citizen involvement in decision-making. This research was not intended to consult on solutions related to LGR, elicit binary views on whether residents want LGR, or gather opinions on specific options.
Approach
NatCen used a multi-method approach, including:
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Survey: Representative sample of 1,477 Greater Essex residents
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Deliberative workshop: with 30 residents across Greater Essex
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Targeted focus groups: with 22 residents across under-represented groups, young people (18-25); ethnic minority groups and residents living with a disability.
While the work was co-ordinated by Essex County Council, all 15 councils were involved in the shaping of the research scope and materials.
These documents cover:
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Summary report
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Survey report
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Workshops and Focus groups report
