Implementing your project
Challenges: recruitment and outreach
Recruiting participants for an event can often be the most time-consuming part of implementing a project. It needs to be started at an early stage and constantly monitored right up until the event. Do not assume that people will just turn up. And, even when you do have an idea of how many people intend to turn up, a good number may drop out at the last moment.
There are three main approaches to recruitment
Existing contacts
These will be people, often from voluntary and community sector groups, who are known to be interested in the type of issues you are likely to be consulting about. While these will be 'warm' contacts, accessing them, often through gatekeeper bodies, can be time-consuming.
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|---|---|
Interested contacts Unlikely to drop out at the last moment Fairly easy to recruit |
Often same old faces May not be representative of wider community Can take more time to recruit than expected |
Targeted recruitment
This is usually recruitment which has been contracted to a professional market research fieldwork agency. They will require a recruitment specification detailing the type of people you want at your event. They will usually recruit the required people by face-to-face contact using a screening questionnaire. Fieldwork bodies can be found in the Research Buyer's Guide at www.rbg.org.uk/
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|---|---|
Brings fresh faces into discussions Allows for more representative range of participants More certainty about numbers of attendees |
Can be expensive - upwards of £60 per person, plus incentive costs Initially may not be as interested or knowledgeable as existing contacts |
Advertising
There are numerous ways of letting people know that a consultation event is happening, from alerting voluntary and community sector bodies, placing an advert in a newspaper or newsletter, mailing people and highlighting it on your website.
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|---|---|
Easy to organise Is cheapest form of recruitment Is an approach that people are familiar with |
You have no control over who, or how many, attend |
Hard to hear groups
Information on consulting hard to hear groups can be found on www.renewal.net
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