ITS Communication Plan: Focus Group & Survey Findings Raechelle Clemmons November 25, 2008.

ITS Communication Plan:Focus Group & Survey Findings

Raechelle Clemmons November 25, 2008

Background and Context

• When formed in September 2008, the RMAPS office was charged with “managing and coordinating communication between ITS and its clients”

• In October 2008, we conducted focus groups and an online survey to assess the current and desired states of ITS communications

• The next step, currently underway, is the development of an ITS communication plan

• Supporting Documentation– Focus Group Summary Report (pdf)

– 2008 Survey Data (xls)

– 2008 Survey Comments (pdf)

Focus Group Overview

• Conducted 4 focus groups on October 7, 2008– One group for each audience:

faculty, staff, administrators, and ITS staff

– 5-9 participants per group

– Sessions recorded and transcribed

• Purpose: to gather qualitative input about ITS communications– What has worked about current communications, and what hasn’t?

– What types of IT-related things do audience members want to hear about, and on what frequency?

– How do audience members prefer to be communicated with?

Focus Group Key Findings

• None of the audiences feel particularly informed currently

• Each audience has a different interest in the type of information they wish to receive

• There is no consensus on communication method, except that a number of methods should be used, with possible recipient choices for what s/he receives

• All audiences, but particularly faculty, value face-to-face interactions with IT staff and an IT “liaison”

• A delicate communication balance is needed – audiences want to be kept well informed about IT activities, but don’t want to be inundated with email

Survey Overview

• Conducted between October 23 and November 5, 2008– 7 multi-part questions, conducted electronically

– Email invitations sent to all VPs and Deans, all-faculty list (through Provost’s Office), and massmail (3 emails)

• Purpose: to gather quantitative data about ITS communications and customer satisfaction with services– Gather additional data to validate (or refute) focus group findings

– Provide a benchmark against which to measure the effectiveness of the communication plan

– Provide a benchmark against which to measure IT process, service, and support enhancements

Survey Responses

• 284 Responses– 116 Faculty responses

– 140 Staff responses

– 28 Administrator responses

• 18% Response rate– 14.7% Faculty response rate

– 16.5% Staff response rate

– 51.9% Administrator response rate

Based on Fall 2007 IPEDS

41%

49%

10%

Faculty Staff Administrators

Survey Findings: Communication

• Question: When thinking about IT services I might want/need, I feel that I:– Know what IT services are available to me

– Know where to find information about IT services

– Am kept informed about IT services and projects that might impact me

• Responses validated focus group findings:– 25% of all audiences (combined) disagreed, either strongly or

somewhat, with these statements

– Faculty were least likely to feel communicated with, echoing focus group feedback

– Of the audiences, staff felt most knowledgeable about available services and where to find information about them

– Administrators were the only audience to have “strongly agree” scores that exceeded “somewhat agree”, but also strongly disagreed on 2 of the 3 questions at higher rates than other audiences

Survey Findings: CommunicationResponse for All Audiences Combined

Q6: All Responses

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

Know What Services are Available Know Where to Find Info About Services Am Kept Informed About IT

Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neither Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree

Survey Findings: CommunicationKnow What IT Services Are Available

Q6: Know What IT Services Are Available

6.2% 5.4% 6.6% 7.4%

19.2%24.1%

14.6%

22.2%

13.8%

14.3%

13.9%

11.1%

36.2%

39.3%

35.0%29.6%

24.6%

17.0%

29.9% 29.6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

All Faculty Staff Administrators


Survey Findings: CommunicationKnow Where to Find Info About IT Services

Q6: Know Where to Find Information About IT Services

7.3% 6.4% 7.2%12.0%

17.5%23.6%

12.2%

20.0%

10.9%

12.7%

9.4%

12.0%

34.3%

33.6%

37.4%

20.0%

29.9%

23.6%

33.8% 36.0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%



Survey Findings: CommunicationAm Kept Informed About IT Services/Projects

Q6: Am Kept Informed About IT Services/Projects

10.6% 10.9% 10.9%7.7%

18.2%21.8%

16.7%

11.5%

15.0%

18.2%

11.6%

19.2%

30.3%

29.1%

31.9%26.9%

25.9%20.0%

29.0%34.6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%



Other Survey Areas of Inquiry

• What methods are used to request IT services, and how frequently is each method used?

• Do users know how and where/to whom to submit requests for IT service?

• What is the level of satisfaction with 11 types of IT service, based on use within the last 3 months?

• What is the level of satisfaction with IT overall?

Survey Findings: Service Requests

• 65-75% of all audiences use the Service Desk online form, email to Service Desk, call to Service Desk, or an email/call to a generic IT number to request service

• Over 85% of all audiences email/call an IT person directly or request service face-to-face

• The highest instances of “regular use” for each audience were:– Faculty: Email/call IT person directly, Email/call generic IT number

– Staff: Email the Service Desk, Email/call IT person directly

– Administrator: Service Desk online form, Email/call IT person directly

Survey Findings: Service RequestsPercent Use of Service Request Methods

Q2: IT Service Request Methods, Use by Audience

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

SD - OnlineForm

SD - Email SD - Call SD - OnlineChat

IT Dept IT Person Face-to-Face Other

All Faculty Staff Administrator

Survey Findings: Service RequestsLevel of Use for All Audiences CombinedQ2: IT Service Request Methods, Level of Use for All Audiences (Of Those Who Use)

30.0%26.0%

43.0%

63.5%

27.4%

16.3%

24.0%

31.3%

45.6%

43.7%

41.4%

26.9%

40.2%

43.3%

46.8% 31.3%

24.4%30.2%

15.6%9.6%

32.4%

40.4%

29.2%

37.5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

SD - OnlineForm

SD - Email SD - Call SD - OnlineChat

IT Dept IT Person Face-to-Face Other

Rarely Ocassionally Regularly

Survey Findings: Service Requests (2)

• Question: When in need of IT support or service, I feel that I:– Know where/to whom to submit my request

– Know how to submit my request

– Vary where/to whom I submit my request, depending on my specific need

• Response findings:– Staff were more likely than other audiences to know where and how to

submit requests for service

– 24% of faculty and 30% of administrators did not feel that they knew where/to whom to submit requests, and roughly 20% of both did not feel they knew how to submit requests

– For the “vary where I submit my request” question, a high rate of disagreement is the preferred response, however, only 1/5th of all audiences (combined) disagreed with this statement

Survey Findings: Service Requests (2)Know Where/To Whom to Submit Request

Q3: Know Where/To Whom to Submit Request for IT Support or Service

6.9% 8.0% 5.9% 7.4%

11.3%

16.1%

5.1%

22.2%6.5%

4.5%

8.8%

3.7%

38.2%

44.6%

33.8%

33.3%

37.1%

26.8%

46.3%

33.3%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%



Survey Findings: Service Requests (2)Know How to Submit Request

Q3: Know How to Submit Request for IT Support or Service

7.3% 9.8%5.2% 7.7%

7.3%

10.7%

3.7%

11.5%

10.3%

9.8%

10.4%

11.5%

38.8%

43.8%

34.1%

42.3%

36.3%

25.9%

46.7%

26.9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%



Survey Findings: Service Requests (2)Vary How Requests Are Submitted

Q3: Vary Where/To Whom I Submit Request for IT Support or Service

9.5% 7.7%11.3%

8.0%

9.9% 14.4% 6.5%8.0%

12.6%11.5%

12.9% 16.0%

43.1%45.2%

42.7%36.0%

24.9%21.2%

26.6%32.0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%



Survey Findings: IT Services

• Question: For IT services I have used over the last 3 months, my level of satisfaction is…– 11 services were measured

• Most used services– Faculty: 1) computer/peripheral support, 2) classroom

computer/system support, 3) Blackboard support

– Staff: 1) computer/peripheral support, 2) office productivity software support, 3) telephone support

– Administrators: 1) computer/peripheral support, 2) office productivity software support, 3) website maintenance and support

Survey Findings: IT ServicesPercent Use of IT Services

Q4: IT Services, Use by Audience

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

Desktop Classroom Software Blackboard PeopleSoft Web Telephone Specialized AssistiveTech

Training ProjectMgmt



• For all audiences, the highest and lowest levels of satisfaction were with:– Strongly satisfied: Computer/peripheral support (62.1%), Telephone

support (52.7%), Blackboard support (48.9%)

– Strongly dissatisfied: Project management (14.3%), Web maintenance and support (9.4%), PeopleSoft support (9.2%)

• All audiences (combined) rated only 4 services above 70% satisfaction (strongly and somewhat combined)– Desktop, classroom, telephone, and specialized system support

– Faculty: 3 above; staff: 5 above; administrators: 7 above

• Individual audiences differed on satisfaction for the same service, which may reflect differences in expectations and/or differences in support when a service is provided in multiple locations


• Faculty satisfaction– Strongly satisfied: Computer/peripheral support (56.9%), Blackboard support

(53.6%)– Strongly dissatisfied: Website maintenance and support (19%), Project

management (17.9%), PeopleSoft (11.9%)

• Staff satisfaction– Strongly satisfied: Computer/peripheral support (66.7%), Telephone support

(62%), Classroom computer/system support and Office productivity software support (52%)

– Strongly dissatisfied: Project management (12.2%), PeopleSoft (7%), Blackboard (5.2%)

• Administrator satisfaction– Strongly satisfied: Assistive technology/accessibility support (66.7%), Website

maintenance and support (63.2%), Computer/peripheral support (59.3%)– Strongly dissatisfied: Website maintenance and support (15.8%), Project

management (13.3%), Training (13.3%)

Survey Findings: IT ServicesQ4: Level of Satisfaction with IT Services, All Audiences (Of Those Who Use)

3.1% 3.5% 4.1% 5.3%9.2% 9.4%

5.5% 4.5% 4.2%7.5%

14.3%7.3% 8.5% 8.7% 6.9%

13.4% 11.4%

4.2% 5.1% 7.3%

10.0%

4.8%7.7%

11.3%

21.4%19.1%

24.6%24.2%

16.4% 18.5%

27.1%

25.0%

36.9%

19.9%

36.6%

21.9%

19.8%

22.5%

20.1%

21.2%

26.1%

20.8%

33.8%

23.8%62.1%

40.1%43.9%

48.9%

30.3%34.9%

52.7%

45.9%40.6%

23.8%20.2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Desktop Classroom Software Blackboard PeopleSoft Web Telephone Specialized AssistiveTech

Training ProjectMgmt

Strongly Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Neither Somewhat Satisfied Strongly Satisfied

Survey Findings: Overall Satisfaction

• Audiences were more generous when rating level of satisfaction overall, versus level of satisfaction with individual services

• With strongly and somewhat satisfied combined, all audiences rated satisfaction at or above 70%; staff above 80%

• Levels of dissatisfaction were much smaller for all audiences, as compared to levels of dissatisfaction with individual services

• Plenty of opportunities for improvement and growth!

Survey Findings: Overall SatisfactionLevel of Satisfaction with IT Services

Q5: Level of Satisfaction with IT Services Overall

2.9% 2.7% 3.0% 3.6%

9.1% 10.7% 8.1% 7.1%

12.4%

17.0%

7.4%

17.9%

32.7%

36.6%

31.9%

21.4%

42.9%

33.0%

49.6% 50.0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Strongly Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Neither Somewhat Satisfied Strongly Satisfied

ITS Communication Plan: Focus Group & Survey Findings Raechelle Clemmons November 25, 2008.

Documents

Transcript of ITS Communication Plan: Focus Group & Survey Findings Raechelle Clemmons November 25, 2008.