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Planning a Survey 23
able, especially if the survey is one of the first of this type to be done by this survey sponsor or at
this airport. The risk of unanticipated events causing slippage in the schedule is very high. In fact,
it may be wise to let the whole schedule slip a year, if necessary, to meet seasonality criteria, rather
than put the survey results in jeopardy from an overly ambitious schedule.
With the target date set for the beginning of the survey, the survey planning team can work
backwards and forwards from that date and set other key dates for the project. These dates will
include, for example, the following events or milestones:
· Distribution of the RFP.
· Award dates for key contracts.
· Survey planning complete.
· Survey forms/questionnaire design complete.
· Acquisition schedule for materials, surveyor supplies, forms, etc.
· Printing of questionnaires, return envelopes, letters, etc., as required.
· Acquisition of survey equipment, if required.
· Preparation of training material.
· Selection of survey field staff.
· Badging and security clearances.
· Training time.
· Pre-tests and pilot tests complete.
· Start of data collection.
· Data collection complete.
· Data entry and cleaning complete.
· Analysis complete.
· Preparation of results complete.
· Presentation of results.
2.8 Survey Location and Security Clearance
The choice of location to perform a survey will depend on the information that the survey is
designed to obtain and the practicalities of surveying the desired respondents. This issue prima-
rily affects surveys of air passengers and associated greeters and well-wishers, because surveys of
airport employees and other groups of airport users will generally not use the intercept method.
It has become fairly standard practice to perform passenger surveys in the airline gate lounges
while passengers are waiting to board their flights. This location has the advantage that passen-
gers are often sitting down with little to do except read a book or magazine. However, the increas-
ing use of laptop computers and cell phones in recent years has meant that many people in the
gate lounges may be working or talking on their cell phone. The choice of location is dealt with
in detail in Chapter 4.
Performing surveys in the secure area of the passenger terminal involves an array of logistical
issues related to obtaining security clearance and identification badges for the survey field staff.
Survey staff may be issued temporary badges, but they may then need to be escorted by a perma-
nently badged airport employee. For surveys conducted over a long period of time and in mul-
tiple locations, the escorting approach may not be practicable or cost effective. Instead, the
survey field staff should be issued regular identification badges to allow access.
The exact procedure for badging will vary from airport to airport, but a typical process is that
all persons who require a badge will complete an application form that is submitted by their
employer to the airport badging office for approval. Applicants will then make an appointment
