Measuring Quality of Life in Communities Surrounding Airports (2020)

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20 Conducting a Quality of Life Assessment This chapter describes the step­by­step tiered approach to conducting a QOL assessment and use of the survey tool, as outlined in Figure 4. The research team recommends that each airport review the steps in this chapter to determine the appropriate number of steps necessary to meet their objectives. This determination may be dependent on preferred assessment time­ line, available staff resources, and level of effort needed to support leadership decision making. Airports can gain value from completing Step 1 independently, completing Steps 1 and 2, or conducting a full assessment (completing Steps 1 through 5). Step 6 is optional and can be decided upon at any point in the process, or the airport can revisit the value of Step 6 in the future or as resources permit. Benefits accrue throughout the stepwise process in which air­ ports have the flexibility to work toward a full QOL assessment and subsequent future assess­ ments that offer them the greatest potential benefits. Anticipated benefits include increased coordination and collaboration among airport departments, with airport stakeholders, and with surrounding communities. The steps of the assessment process include: 1. Initiate QOL dialogue internally. 2. Engage external stakeholders. 3. Determine study area, and gather quantitative data. 4. Administer survey. 5. Analyze data. 6. Review or update assessment at a future date. Step 1. Initiate Quality of Life Dialogue Internally The first step in the QOL assessment process involves engaging internal airport stakeholders. Because the process is likely to be new for many internal airport stakeholders, it will require time and discussion for them to become comfortable with the general topic, define the goals of the study, and determine the number of assessment steps to undertake. This step provides an opportunity to set expectations and build support across the organization by educating internal airport stakeholders about the benefits of undertaking a QOL study. The airport can derive value from this step by increasing awareness about the types of impacts airport decisions may have on community QOL. This benefit can be realized even if the airport is not able to pursue a full QOL assessment. Step 1.1. Identify Lead Individual or Department Undertaking a QOL assessment requires identification of a leader to coordinate activities, initiate communication and meetings, define the scope of the study, and manage the ongoing C H A P T E R 3

Conducting a Quality of Life Assessment 21 Figure 4. QOL assessment development process.

22 Measuring Quality of Life in Communities Surrounding Airports project. The lead individual or department should be identified early in the assessment process. Not all the decisions regarding the QOL assessment will be made by the lead individual or department, but this person or group will be responsible for many key components of the assessment implementation and should, therefore, have enough resources allocated (e.g., staff, interest, and time). Step 1.2. Identify Internal Airport Stakeholders The lead individual or department should then identify a group of diverse internal airport stakeholders to engage in the assessment. These individuals will form the core decision­making team and should, ideally, represent a range of views and various departments at the airport. This approach mirrors that taken by many airports in sustainability planning. Because the Quality of Life Assessment Methodology covers a wide range of topics and involves engagement with external organizations and community members, the following is a list of airport stakeholders that should be considered for involvement: • Airport executive management (C Suite), • External or governmental affairs (staff who manage relationships with federal, state, and local governments; and airport commissioners–airport authority board members), • Communications or public relations, • Planning, • Environmental and sustainability, • Noise (if considered separate from the environmental and sustainability team), • Capital development, • Operations, • Emergency management, • Airline and tenant relations, and • Finance–procurement. Step 1.3. Convene Initial Discussion Once internal stakeholders are identified, the lead individual or department should begin by convening an initial discussion. This discussion should introduce the concept of QOL, identify the reasons for initiating an assessment, and build support for the initiative. This discussion may take the form of a kickoff meeting—or a series of meetings—with the entire group of inter­ nal stakeholders and subsequent conversations between the lead individual or department and smaller groups of internal stakeholders. A sample presentation has been prepared in Appendix F to facilitate the discussion. Step 1.4. Define Airport Goals and Desired Assessment Achievement The core decision­making team should determine the airport’s goals for undertaking a QOL assessment, ascertain potential available resources, and make an initial determination on the level of achievement sought (i.e., the intended number of assessment steps to complete). An initial discussion about the physical boundaries of the area to be assessed should also occur under this step, although it can be adjusted and finalized in Steps 2 and 3. Step 2. Engage Key External Stakeholder Organizations Step 2.1. Identify External Stakeholders When determining which organizations and groups to include in the QOL assessment, the airport should consider which external stakeholders are most representative of the

Conducting a Quality of Life Assessment 23 communities being assessed. The QOL assessment process establishes a framework for two­way communication between an airport and its stakeholders, subsequently increasing transparency and improving relationships. These relationships help to build trust and understanding between all parties. The Global Reporting Initiative standards define stakeholders as those who can “reasonably be expected to be significantly affected by the reporting organization’s activities, products, or services; or whose actions can reasonably be expected to affect the ability of the organization to implement its strategies or achieve its objectives. This includes, but is not limited to, entities or individuals whose rights under law or international conventions provide them with legiti­ mate claims vis­à­vis the organization. Stakeholders can include employees and other workers, shareholders, suppliers, vulnerable groups, local communities, and NGOs or other civil society organizations, among others” (Global Sustainability Standards Board 2016). Airports should first consider existing processes for identifying and engaging with stake­ holders, especially if there are preexisting community advisory committees or organizations that the airport has previously consulted with. This may include groups engaged for recent envi­ ronmental reviews for development projects or master plans. When identifying stakeholders, ensuring a diversity of perspectives is critical as this group will serve as an advisor to the airport on the QOL initiative. Convening a group representative of the local community will improve external stakeholder buy­in to the QOL assessment process by giving many groups a seat at the table. Table 3 presents a list of potential external stakeholders to consider engaging in this step. Stakeholder Groups Examples Airport tenants Airport tenants may include airlines, concessionaires, service providers, tenant employees, and so on. Residents and communities Local airport residents Neighborhood groups–community associations Existing airport advisory groups–roundtables Government organizations and elected officials Local governments and regulatory agencies Metropolitan planning organizations Municipal and county planning departments Local transportation or transit agencies Economic development authorities Military School districts–school boards Tribal entities FAA Law enforcement–first responders Public interest groups–nongovernmental organizations Environmental advocacy groups Quiet Skies groups Historic district associations and historical societies Community groups or local chapters of national advocacy organizations Academic institutions Hospitals Business interest groups Local businesses that depend on the airport Chambers of commerce Business improvement districts Convention and visitors’ bureau Developers Trade associations Realtors Unions Table 3. Potential external stakeholders for consideration.

24 Measuring Quality of Life in Communities Surrounding Airports Examples of stakeholders identified for each of the three airport partner workshops are pro­ vided in Appendix E. The selection of stakeholders may have differed if the partner airports planned to undertake a full QOL assessment, but the identification process aligned with the process used by the airports to identify stakeholders for other purposes, such as master planning or communicating information concerning noise. Step 2.2. Discuss Indicators and Thresholds for Quantitative Indicators Once participants have been introduced to the QOL topic, the QOL assessment leader should then walk through all the indicators with the entire group to determine if any gaps exist that may warrant the potential use of supplemental indicators. The group should also discuss whether any quantitative indicator thresholds should be adjusted to reflect local con­ ditions. Although the methodology includes pre­set (default) thresholds for quantitative indicators, airports and their stakeholders may choose to set thresholds more reflective of local conditions or utilizing local data sources. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2019), the threshold for consideration of a family of four as “low income” in the San Francisco Bay Area (to qualify for certain housing assistance programs), is $117,400 per year. Default thresholds for Indicator E1 (household income) are based on median U.S. city household income levels as derived from the U.S. Census Bureau. Therefore, an airport located in the Bay Area may choose to realign the income thresholds to better reflect local conditions. In this example, an airport could decide to set the thresholds for the study area to • An annual income that is below 25 percent of the regional average (which would be associated with a QOL score of 1), • An annual income that is between 26 percent and 50 percent of the regional average (which would be associated with a QOL score of 2), • An annual income that is between 51 percent and 75 percent of the regional average (which would be associated with a QOL score of 3), or • An annual income that is above 75 percent of the regional average (which would be associated with a QOL score of 4). In addition, airports and external stakeholders should consider whether there are local data sets that may be valuable in setting thresholds for some of the quantitative indicators. Although the Indicator Thresholds and Quantitative Data Sources spreadsheet (Appendix B) contains suggested data sets and instructions for obtaining information on each quantitative indicator, in some cases airports may have easy access to data from sources other than those suggested. Step 2.3. Determine Assessment Scope In this step, airports and external stakeholders can discuss the pros and cons of undertaking a full QOL assessment, using the survey tool and all 100 indicators, or stopping at Step 2 or 3. Budget and staff resources are an important consideration, as well as quantitative data avail­ ability, political considerations, and scheduling (e.g., if there is an ongoing study, survey, or stakeholder outreach effort related to another airport project that may benefit from or may provide data for the QOL assessment). For airports that do not wish to undertake a full QOL assessment using the complete list of 100 indicators, a more limited mini assessment can be conducted. To conduct a mini assess­ ment, the airport should select a subset of indicators (target between 25 and 30 indicators) across the six QOL categories, including qualitative and quantitative indicators. Assessing this subset of indicators will allow airports to develop a baseline assessment for airport community

Conducting a Quality of Life Assessment 25 QOL in cases where resource constraints make conducting a more comprehensive assessment impractical. Airports can select any number of indicators, but 25 to 35 should be considered the minimum necessary to undertake this type of study. In addition, three indicators that directly relate to airports should be considered for inclusion in a streamlined assessment: EN9 (satisfaction with the environmental stewardship of the airport), EN10 (intensity of aircraft noise annoyance), and T8 (satisfaction with nearest airport). Step 3. Determine Study Area and Gather Quantitative Data Although the internal airport stakeholder group will have already discussed the potential study area in Step 1, the proposed study area should be reviewed with the external stakeholders and revised, if appropriate. Step 3.1. Determine Study Area The study area will differ from airport to airport based on several unique factors, such as population density, proximity to other airports, political boundaries, availability of data, budget, goals of the airport, and input from external stakeholders. Airports may choose to modify study boundaries for the QOL assessment from previously completed efforts, including the following: • Environmental assessments or analyses for projects (e.g., to comply with National Environ­ mental Policy Act or state environmental requirements), • Master plans, • Studies to develop noise compatibility plans (Part 150 studies), • Economic impact analyses, and • Studies of the area for air service development. These previous studies and plans are likely to have included within their study boundaries all communities where a large number of residents are served by the airport, all communities affected by airport noise, all communities providing significant numbers of employees who work within the airport, as well as all communities located within a given radius of the airport (though the previous categories are likely to cover this category). For simplicity, the airport may wish to select the metropolitan statistical area surrounding the airport as the study boundary. Step 3.2. Gather Quantitative Data General instructions for collecting data related to these indicators are included in Chapter 4. Suggested publicly available data sources for each quantitative indicator—along with detailed instructions for finding the information within each source—are contained in the Excel spreadsheet “Appendix B: Indicator Thresholds and Quantitative Data Sources” (tab labeled “Quantitative Data Sources”), found at www.trb.org by searching for “ACRP Research Report 221.” The airport can use the Excel file to enter the QOL scores for each quantitative indicator. The importance scores for each quantitative indicator will be provided by survey respondents, as described in Chapter 2. Step 4. Administer Survey Step 4.1. Determine Survey Budget and Methodology This guidebook does not discuss statistical concepts and survey design principles. However, two reports—ACRP Report 26: Guidebook for Conducting Airport User Surveys (Biggs et al. 2009) and ACRP Web-Only Document 17: Research Methods for Understanding Aircraft Noise Annoyances

26 Measuring Quality of Life in Communities Surrounding Airports and Sleep Disturbance (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2014)— contain extensive information about how to develop and administer surveys, including guidance on sampling methods, how to determine an appropriate sample size for the study population (which will vary from airport to airport), how to prevent bias (to the extent feasible), contract­ ing with external resources, training survey teams, determining logistics, maximizing response rates, and understanding the costs and benefits of various survey administration practices (e.g., in person, web, telephone, and mail). The QOL assessment lead and internal stakeholder group—with input from the external stakeholders—should consider reviewing the ACRP survey resources previously noted to prepare for a discussion of the survey budget, which will, in turn, influence the survey distribution methodology (i.e., in person, telephone, mail, or web­based). The costs to administer a survey vary considerably based on both sample size and methodology (Biggs et al. 2009). Despite in­person surveys costing more (up to 6 to 8 times the cost of a telephone survey and more when compared to a mail or web survey), they also have better response rates (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2014). Step 4.2. Determine Survey Administrator This step includes determining whether the airport has the capacity to administer the survey or if it should consider partnering with or contracting to a third party. Airports that have experience administering customer or other types of surveys could use existing procedures for the QOL survey and manage the survey administration internally. Mail and web­based survey distribution methods require the least effort. The ACRP resources on surveys referenced in Step 4.1 are good resources for considering these issues. Some airports may wish to hire a contractor with expertise in surveying to administer the QOL survey. The Quality of Life Assess­ ment Survey Tool (Appendix A) is a PDF that can be converted to an online survey to facilitate survey administration. The research team did this as part of the research process to test the survey, as explained in Appendix G: Examples of Data Visualizations. Step 4.3. Collect Responses For this step, the airport or a third party—based on results of decisions in Steps 4.1 and 4.2— will administer the survey and collect responses. Chapter 4 contains details for carrying out these tasks. Step 5. Analyze Data Once quantitative data has been gathered and qualitative survey responses have been collected, the airport or third party should score and analyze the results. Analysis may involve additional follow­up and communication with selected participants to clarify some of the survey results. The results should be aggregated and averaged and can be reviewed by category, zip code, municipal boundary, or other demographic variables. Additional information is provided in Chapter 5 and Appendix G: Examples of Data Visualizations. Step 5.1. Determine QOL Score for Quantitative Indicators Based on Thresholds Using the indicator thresholds in Appendix B (or adjusted thresholds to reflect local condi­ tions, as discussed in Step 2.2) and the suggested data sources (or local data sources), the airport should assign a QOL score for each quantitative indicator for the study area. This step can also occur parallel to Step 3.2, when the data is initially gathered.

Conducting a Quality of Life Assessment 27 Step 5.2. Calculate Average QOL Score for Each Qualitative Indicator The airport or third party should calculate the mean QOL score for each qualitative indicator included in the survey. Each answer choice is associated with a QOL score of 1 through 4 (discussed in Chapter 2). The survey administrator should add all QOL scores for each qualita­ tive indicator included on the survey and divide by the number of respondents to obtain the average QOL score for each indicator. The airport can also examine average QOL scores for each indicator for a subset of the full pool of respondents, based on any number of respondent charac­ teristics. For example, the airport could analyze QOL scores for a selected indicator by calculating QOL scores of subsets of respondents divided by location, age group, or other demographics. Step 5.3. Calculate Average Importance Score for Each Indicator Based on the survey results, the survey administrator should average the importance score ratings for each quantitative and qualitative indicator. An overall average importance score for each indicator should be calculated first by adding the importance scores for each indicator and then dividing by the number of respondents to obtain the average importance score for each indicator. As needed, the importance scores for any indicator can be examined for respondents divided by location, age group, or other demographics. Step 5.4. Visualize Data Once scores for quantitative and qualitative indicators—along with their respective importance scores—are calculated, the results can then be displayed in chart form (or any other manner the airport chooses). A simple approach to visualizing the data uses a quadrant plot to show which QOL indicators are contributing to lower or higher QOL (Figure 5). The quadrant chart allows users to plot the results for each indicator according to its average QOL score (x­axis) and importance score (y­axis) and provides insight into which indicators need to be addressed or monitored. Detailed instructions for developing and using this type of chart are presented in Chapter 5. Step 6. Review or Update Assessment at Later Date QOL assessments should help to explain the key factors that influence community QOL, providing useful information for airport decision makers. They provide a mechanism for airports to track how QOL changes over time and whether those changes may be related to airport actions. For these reasons, the airport may wish to develop a summary report or document lessons learned throughout the QOL assessment process. This document will help future airport personnel to update the QOL assessment and demonstrate value of the assessment to stakeholders. This guidebook does not recommend a specific timeline for undertaking an update to a QOL assessment, although every 5 years—or after a significant change in the surrounding communities or at the airport has occurred—is reasonable. The airport does not necessarily need to undertake a full QOL assessment for the update and may choose, instead, to do a streamlined mini assessment or only follow Steps 1 and 2 of the assessment process.

28 Measuring Quality of Life in Communities Surrounding Airports Figure 5. Example quadrant plot. EN1 EN2EN3 EN4 EN5 EN6EN7 EN8EN9EN10 EN12EN13 EN14 1 2 3 4 1234 Im po rt an ce S co re QOL Score Quality of Life Indicators Problems contributing to a low QOL Low priority Qualitative Indicator Quantitative Indicator Small problems that can add up Monitor for changes