MD2082 Periodic Polling Programme

1.1 The role of the GLA is to create the conditions whereby all Londoners can thrive. Using traditional forms of social research and innovative engagement the Opinion Research Team can provide first class evidence and insight into public opinion and behaviours to support effective and impactful policy making and the development of strategies and programmes at City Hall.

1.2 From 2009 - 2016 the GLA commissioned ICM Research Ltd to deliver a quarterly telephone polling programme to inform the work of policy teams across City Hall (MD124, DD1319). This contract ended in March 2016.

1.3 A 12 month contract was awarded to YouGov for the period of November 2016 to October 2017 (DD2042) in order to provide robust online opinion research insights to inform the development of statutory strategies. This 12 month contract offers an approximate cost per poll savings of 2.5 times compared to the previous quarterly telephone polling contract.

1.4 We now seek approval to commission a market research agency to provide periodic online polling of Greater London residents in order to support effective and impactful policy making and the development of strategies and programmes at City Hall. Services would be commissioned from November 2017 to October 2021 (inclusive). The contract will be agreed on a 4+1 year criterion, with a requirement on the GLA to serve one month’s notice to terminate the contract. This will allow the contract to be extended for a year at a time or to be terminated at one month’s notice at the request of the GLA.

1.5 Approval is sought to commission periodic online polls via a competitive tender among market research suppliers capable of providing this service for a London sample.

1.6 Programme requirements:

a) Monthly poll of 1,000 Londoners, with the ability to boost the poll sample by 500 interviews for certain demographics groups.
b) Ad hoc polls (approximately 6 per year) in order to provide the GLA with rapid public opinion results in order to respond to immediate / critical research priorities.
c) Access to a complementary polling database tool to support audience segmentation, marketing and media planning.

2.1 Objectives:

a) To commission a programme of opinion polling services that supports effective and impactful policy making; the development of strategies and programmes; and effective communications at City Hall during the next 48 months.
b) To achieve value for money for the Authority by commissioning and managing this programme on behalf of multiple clients at the GLA.

2.2 Outcomes:

a) To ensure that our work is informed by the views of Londoners from all sections of the community.

3.1 The Greater London Authority has an obligation under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty to consider how its policies and decisions affect people who are protected under the act. Through polling a representative sample of Londoners, we will seek to understand any differences in perceptions and experiences among specific groups and give due consideration to how best to meet their needs.

4.1 Risks and issues: The efficacy of online polling lies in a robust sample of respondents within the Greater London boundary. The technical evaluation assessment will require tendering companies to demonstrate that they are capable of providing online polling trends at the frequency that we require, and that they have the ability to boost the sample of respondents from different demographic groups.

4.2 Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities: This programme of research has been delivered since November 2016. There is a clear and demonstrable benefit for the development and implementation of strategies since November 2016. This period of evaluation has allowed the project sponsor ad officers to reach the decision to commission a polling programme for the full term.

4.3 Links to the GLA group: The programme will be procured in a manner that enables functional bodies to have access to the services.

4.4 Impact assessments and consultations: The appropriate procurement process will be followed to ensure that the successful company complies with the GLA’s equal opportunities requirements. Conducting surveys with a representative sample of Londoners will ensure that the GLA involves a broad constituency of people in our work. Consultation helps the GLA to make better informed decisions and make us more accountable to the public.

5.1 Approval is being sought for expenditure of up to £520,000 for the procurement of periodic online polling services to support effective policy making and the development of strategies and programmes at City Hall. DD2042 approved £130,000 in October 2016 to commission the service for the period of work leading up to the start of the new contract.

5.2 The contract will be awarded via a competitive tender process and will last 4 years from November 2017 to October 2021.Therefore the costs will be incurred over 5 financial years in 2017-18 (£54k), 2018-19 (£130k), 2019-20 (£130k), 2020-21 (£130k) and 2021-22 (£76k).

5.3 The costs will be funded from the Consultation Programme budget held within the Intelligence Unit.

6.1 The foregoing sections of this report indicate that:

6.1.1 the decisions requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers to do such things as may be considered to be facilitative of or conducive or incidental to the discharge of its principal purposes; and

6.1.2 in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:

(a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
(b) consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
(c) consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2 In taking the decisions requested, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

6.3 Officers must ensure that the services required are procured by Transport for London who will determine the detail of the procurement strategy to be adopted in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code and appropriate contract documentation is put in place and signed by the GLA and any such supplier(s) before the commencement of the provision of such services.

7.1 The Opinion Research Team will manage the programme in order to ensure that all research undertaken delivers the high quality, robust insight required by clients across the GLA.

7.2 Procurement has been consulted and has advised there is no existing Lot on the TfL Market Research Framework that meets all of our requirements. Therefore we must proceed with a competitive tender process.