Kapp and Anderson identify 5 factors evaluators should consider when selecting a consumer or client satisfaction survey. Identify and describe all 5 factors.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The 5 factors are: (1) How well does the instrument fit the service setting? Some instruments are somewhat general and some are specific. Will a general instrument work? Are there specific aspects of your service that would benefit from the insight afforded by consumer feedback? If you feel your needs are very specific, do your best to match the items to your needs with specific areas assessed by the various instruments. (2) Does the instrument provide an overall assessment or is it more topic specific? Some instruments give an overall score for client satisfaction. Others will break the concept of satisfaction into more precise categories. For example, an instrument may provide more specific feedback on the worker’s performance versus the agency’s performance. When shopping for an instrument, consider if your needs would be met by having a general score that describes consumer satisfaction or if you have more specific parts of the program you would like to assess. (3) Does the language fit my population? Most authors do their best to avoid technical jargon or social work professional speak, but your review will help to ensure that there are not terms or words that will make no sense to your consumers. Although the instruments are written in English, many have been translated into additional languages. Contact the authors to see if a specific instrument has been translated. (4) Use the complete instrument. As mentioned earlier, each instrument is the result of much testing and revision, which is supported with concise psychometric testing. While it may seem fairly benign to substitute a word or possibly add or subtract an item, these kinds of changes threaten the reliability and validity of the instrument. (5) Consult with the authors. If you are planning or considering the use of a specific instrument, contact the authors. Even though the authors were generous enough to approve the inclusion of their instrument in this book, each of the instruments has copyright considerations. You must discuss your intended uses with each author. Furthermore, the individual authors may have suggestions about the application of the particular instrument for your purposes.