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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDiamond_Bar_CA_Public_Opinion_Polling_CM_2025_03_v1 1 | P a g e A. Cover Letter City of Diamond Bar City Manager’s Office Attn: Alex Batres 21810 Copley Drive Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Subject: Proposal for Public Opinion Polling Services Dear Mr. Batres, Ragnar Research Partners is pleased to submit this proposal in response to the City of Diamond Bar’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for Public Opinion Polling Services. With our extensive experience in conducting high-quality, data-driven public opinion research, we are confident in our ability to provide the City with meaningful insights into community perceptions of municipal services, budget priorities, and the feasibility of a revenue ballot measure. Our team specializes in designing and executing accurate surveys tailored to the unique needs of local governments. We will employ best-in-class methodologies, ensuring a representative sample of Diamond Bar’s diverse community, with multilingual survey capabilities in English, Mandarin, and Korean. Our approach will offer the City a clear, actionable understanding of public sentiment, equipping decision-makers with the information necessary to assess potential funding mechanisms, such as a Transactions and Use Tax or a General Obligation Bond. As a trusted leader in public opinion research, Ragnar Research Partners is committed to delivering precise and insightful results. Our team includes seasoned professionals with decades of experience in survey research, data analysis, and municipal policy evaluation. We pride ourselves on our ability to translate complex polling data into actionable strategies that help municipalities navigate key fiscal and policy decisions. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the City of Diamond Bar and look forward to discussing how we can best support this critical initiative. This proposal remains valid for ninety (90) days from the date of submission. Please feel free to contact me at goodale@ragnarresearch.com or 630-457-8543 should you have any questions or require further information. Sincerely, Chelsea Goodale Director of Research, Senior Vice President Ragnar Research Partners goodale@ragnarresearch.com tel: 630-457-8543 2/17/2025 2 | P a g e B. Project Team Ragnar Research’s experience is founded in delivering on demanding research projects and our extensive capabilities allow us to execute on projects in a timely fashion. Therefore, should we be awarded this project, our project management team will be available 24/7. The project management team for this project will be Allen Crosby, Vice President, and Chelsea Goodale, Director of Research, Senior Vice President. In addition, Ragnar Research employees six full-time research staff and two part-time interns who will assist on this project. The organization’s structure is as follows: Project Management Team: Chelsea Goodale, Director of Research, Senior Vice President Chelsea manages our research team and oversees research design and analysis across all projects. She has 10 years of experience in market research and has been with Ragnar Research for over 7 years. She was involved in the research design and oversees the execution of all projects conducted by Ragnar Research. This includes over 900 studies, with over 100 studies conducted for municipal organizations or within municipal regions. Chelsea started her career in ad hoc consumer research, and it's only gotten more fun from there. She has extensive experience working across industries, working with difficult to reach audiences (from children’s research to CEOs), working with small companies to fortune 500s, and working with organizations whose needs focus on municipalities to those with worldwide business needs. Chelsea has been integral in developing complex solutions in order to ensure Ragnar Research can provide our clients with the most accurate data possible, and she loves a good challenge. Allen Crosby, Vice President Allen manages our client relations and public-facing communications, ensuring seamless integration of research findings into actionable strategies. With 2 years of experience in market research and 8 years in public relations, Allen has been with Ragnar Research for 2 years, overseeing client projects and strategic initiatives across various industries. Allen began his career in public relations, focusing on work based in the Carolinas and along the East Coast, where he gained valuable experience working with local, state, and federal governments. He honed his skills in building relationships and crafting impactful messaging and later transitioned into market research to bring a deeper analytical perspective to his work. His background includes working with audiences ranging from grassroots organizations to corporate leaders. Allen's expertise lies in translating complex data into compelling narratives, ensuring clients receive not just accurate findings but also strategies that resonate. He thrives on solving challenges and delivering results-driven solutions. 3 | P a g e Research Team: Lead Analyst, 2 Analyst, Analysis Intern – provide support in questionnaire design and development and production of final client deliverables, such as the final report and follow up stakeholder reports. Field Lead, Field Coordinator, Field Intern – provide support in survey programming, online data collection, data hygiene, and production of final client deliverables (master questionnaire), as well as follow-up data requests. An organization chart indicating principals and key project team members. Also, provide resumes or copies of licenses or professional certificates of the key personnel involved with this contract, including personnel from subcontractors (if any). Identify the experience of the personnel assigned and briefly outline the responsibilities of each member. If any changes in personnel or subcontractors occur during the contract period, the Consultant shall notify the City and furnish the same required information for review and approval. Resume for Primary Contact © 2023 Ragnar Research Partners Resume for Primary Contact 11 Chelsea Goodale Senior Vice President, Director of Research Contact: (630)457 -8543 goodale@ragnarresearch.com Researchdesign Messaging testing (including Regression analysis) Political campaign Public opinion on current issues, including legislative Brand tracking (including Drivers analysis) Concept,creative,and name testing Pricing and product testing (including conjoint,Van Westendorp analysis) Thought leadership Market sizing, segmentation Experience with all aspects of custom research projects,including: Methodology Live dial (includes landline & cellphone) Text-to-web (online survey sent thru SMS) Online surveys (panel,email to client list, agent lead phone-to-web) Intercepts Focus groups (in-person,online) In-depth interviews (phone,online) New business Respond to client RFPs with research proposals outlining capabilities, pricing, and estimated project timelines Project management Develop detailed project timeline, set priorities to ensure project team meets milestones, and summarize progress in weekly update to client Manage project vendor relationships, including request and approval of bids, daily communications, and final invoicing Study design Author screeners, surveys, and discussion guides, ensuring study design meets clients’ research objectives Programming Work with programmers to develop, test, and deploy online surveys Field management Quantitative: Monitor data collection, sampling quotas, send daily targets to panel providers, and review quality of completed interviews Qualitative: Work with recruiters to target, review, and schedule participants for focus groups and in-depth interviews Data processing Design cross tabulations, code unaided responses, and check data tables Data visualization & Reporting Develop custom report templates including executive summaries and detailed findings, coordinate report data entry and review Mentor coworkers and consult on all aspects of reporting and data visualization Author findings, by interpreting raw data and advanced analysis into actionable business intelligence for clients Presentation Support consultants during presentation of findings to clients Community management Manage all aspects of online community of C-level IT decision-makers at enterprise size organizations, including: •Design, develop, and deploy bi-monthly activities •Analyze activity results for use in quarterly marketing materials and new business proposals (white-papers, info-graphics, blog posts, etc.) •Distribute incentives to members for participation in activities •Manage member relationships through regular communications •Grow membership through multiple ongoing recruitment activities Employment History Ragnar Research, Oklahoma City, OK •Senior Vice President, Director of Research Jan 2023 –Present •Vice President, Director of Research Sep 2019 –Jan 2023 •Vice President of Analysis Jan 2019 –Sep 2019 • Analyst Aug 2017 –Jan 2019 IlluminasAustin, TX •Research Associate Feb 2017 –Aug 2017 •Research Assistant Jan 2016 -Feb 2017 C+R ResearchChicago, IL •Research Associate Oct 2014 -Dec 2015 •Research Intern Jun 2014 -Oct 2014 Senior Projects, Hillsdale College •Advertising Consultant, Hillsdale Chamber of Commerce Jan 2014 -May 2014 •Research Analyst, Hillsdale Tax Increment Finance Authority Aug 2013 -Dec 2013 Technical Experience Sampling Experience sampling across regions of all size, including municipal, state and federal districts, as well as international markets. In all surveys, quotas are used to ensure that the sample and data is representative of the population. Likely Primary and General Election Voters (using official state voter files) B2B (Focused on executive IT and business decision-makers) B2C (Through screening general population, using specialty panel providers or from client provided list) Employee (Through client provided list) Education Hillsdale College, 2014 B.A. in Marketing Management Minor in Graphic Design Employee engagement & event research 4 | P a g e 5 | P a g e C. Firm's Experience/References Ragnar Research was founded in 2017 by four partners: Matt Gammon, Daniel Narvaiz, Chris Perkins, and Ryan Steusloff. The four partners have over 60 years of combined experience in public opinion research. Ragnar Research currently has nine employees. Ragnar Research has a national presence; however, our entire research team is based in Edmond, OK. The partners at Ragnar Research have a track record of getting the numbers right on behalf of corporations, state and local governments, and some of the biggest associations in the country. Ragnar Research has performed work for numerous states, local governments, and municipalities, including the Georgia Transportation Alliance, Marion County, Oregon, the City of Amarillo, and the International Port of Houston. Ragnar Research has extensive experience helping government entities understand how to improve the value they offer to their stakeholders – whether that is their employees or their broader community. We know how to gauge the current perception of an organization, areas they are succeeding, and areas for improvement. In this proposal we detail our methodological approach, our understanding of the research objectives for this work, and the scope of work. Ragnar Research has extensive experience managing projects that are similar to what has been described in the RFP, including working with similar audiences, methodologies, region sizes, and studies of similar complexity. We look forward to discussing our approach with you further. Ragnar Research is also a proud member of AAPOR. Founded in 1947, the American Association for Public Opinion Research is the leading association of public opinion and survey research professionals. Ragnar Research’s extensive body of work reflects our commitment to those values. 6 | P a g e References Marion County, Oregon This project was designed to measure community satisfaction with services provided by the County, to better understand how the community wants the county to prioritize future initiatives to address their concerns, and to address a few specific issues (infrastructure maintenance, public safety). Colm Willis (503) 877-8777 colm.willis@gmail.com Georgia Transportation Alliance This project was designed to understand voters’ feelings on the current state of transportation in GA as the state prepares for an overall increase in traffic. It also tested relevant messages aimed at increasing support for the funding transportation projects. Seth Millican 270 Peachtree St. NW, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303 (770) 715-2657 smillican@gatransportation.org International Port of Houston This project was designed to gauge voters’ awareness of the Port – both how they currently view the Port and where they receive information on it. We also tested messaging to improve the Port’s image in the community. Fatima DeLeon 111 East Loop North, Houston, Texas 77029 (713) 670-2878 fdeleon@porthouston.com City of Amarillo Ragnar Research has conducted multiple research projects for the City of Amarillo. These projects are designed to ensure that the City understood and was able to deliver on the goals of the community. They also frequently test messaging to educate the community about the benefits of investing in local development projects, such as higher education and downtown entertainment projects. Steve Pair 806-316-0076 stevenpair@gmail.com 7 | P a g e D. Methodology/Project Understanding Ragnar Research Partners will provide the City of Diamond Bar with a comprehensive assessment of public sentiment regarding service and budget priorities, along with an evaluation of the feasibility and potential success of a revenue ballot measure in an upcoming election. Our approach aligns with the City’s Scope of Work and includes the following key components: (a) Review of the City’s Culture, Budget, and Infrastructure Needs Ragnar Research Partners will conduct a thorough review of the City’s budget, Capital Improvement Program, and infrastructure priorities. This analysis will ensure the survey effectively gauges public perception of current financial planning and identifies gaps in funding that a revenue measure could address. (b) Identification of Revenue Measure Options Based on this review and industry best practices, Ragnar Research Partners will present a list of potential revenue measures, including options such as a Transactions and Use Tax (Sales Tax), General Obligation Bond, or other funding mechanisms. Our analysis will highlight the advantages, challenges, and expected public reception of each option. (c) Election Cycle Analysis and Recommendations Ragnar Research Partners will analyze voter engagement trends, turnout patterns, and historical election data to determine the most strategic election cycle for placing a revenue measure on the ballot. This assessment will consider the timing of other municipal and state elections, voter sentiment fluctuations, and the impact of concurrent ballot measures. (d) Survey Questionnaire Design and Sampling Methodology Ragnar Research Partners will develop a scientifically rigorous survey questionnaire in English, Chinese (Mandarin), and Korean to ensure inclusivity. Our methodology will employ live-interviewer telephone surveys, which remain the most reliable method for capturing a representative sample of the electorate. Ragnar Research has experience deploying surveys in California communities with a high population of non-English speaking constituents. Our findings have shown that offering concurrent text-to-web interviews is the most effective approach to ensure that minority populations are fully represented in the final analysis. Because the focus of this research is to gauge the success of potential ballot measures, all respondents will be contacted based on the most up-to-date voter file, which is the only way to guarantee results are representative of the electorate as opposed to the general population. This approach ensures that the survey results reflect the City’s diverse population while avoiding the biases associated with online panels or automated surveys. (e) Execution of Statistically Valid Surveys 8 | P a g e Ragnar Research Partners will administer the survey using a sample size of n-400, which ensures a 95% confidence level with a ±5% margin of error. Special attention will be given to ensuring demographic and geographic representation within key voter segments such as the Chinese and Korean communities. Data collection will be carried out over a four to five-day period, in which time Ragnar’s field team will conduct rigorous reviews to assure data quality. (f) Data Analysis and Voter Support Evaluation Ragnar Research Partners will analyze the survey results to determine: • Overall public support for various revenue measures. • The impact of different funding mechanisms on voter approval. • How voter support fluctuates based on revenue levels and proposed allocations. • The most compelling messaging strategies to increase measure viability. (g & h) Final Report and Presentation of Findings Ragnar Research Partners will compile the survey findings into a comprehensive final report, which will include: • Community sentiment on service and budget priorities. • Statistical analysis of voter support for each revenue measure. • Recommended messaging strategies to maximize voter approval. • Identification of potential barriers to success. Following the conclusion of the data collection period, the top-line result will be shared with key stakeholders within one business day, and the full analysis will be available in five business days. The complete analysis will be presented to City staff, City Council members, and key stakeholders to support informed decision-making. Ragnar Research Partners will also be available to present findings at City Council meetings or other public forums as needed. By following this structured approach, Ragnar Research Partners will ensure that the City of Diamond Bar receives the insights necessary to make data-driven decisions regarding future revenue measures. 9 | P a g e E. Cost for Services As requested, here are the itemized and scalable costs for this research. All research is priced based on the number of questions asked, interviews completed, and the cost of travel and other potential expenses that Ragnar Research Partners may accrue throughout the contract. Additionally, we will provide a master questionnaire with weighted topline results and crosstabulations for all the completed interviews. Overall Sample Size Questions Cost n=400 45 $45,500 F. Insurance Ragnar Research Partners acknowledges the insurance requirements outlined in the Request for Proposal's Professional Services Agreement. Upon contract execution, Ragnar Research Partners will submit the required Statement Certifying Insurance Coverage, confirming that all necessary insurance coverage will be obtained in accordance with the City’s purchasing ordinance. Additionally, Ragnar Research Partners affirms that it has consulted with its insurance carrier and can fully comply with the specified insurance requirements. We understand that maintaining the required insurance coverage is a prerequisite for entering into an agreement with the City, and we are prepared to provide all necessary documentation as requested. G. Consulting Services Agreement Ragnar Research Partners hereby certifies that we have reviewed and agree to the City of Diamond Bar’s Consulting Services Agreement as outlined in the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Public Opinion Polling Services. We acknowledge and accept the terms, conditions, and requirements set forth in the agreement, including but not limited to the scope of work, insurance provisions, indemnification clauses, and compliance obligations. Should any minor modifications or clarifications be necessary to align with our operational practices while maintaining full compliance with the City’s requirements, we will submit those for consideration alongside our proposal. However, we affirm our readiness to proceed under the agreement as written. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with the City of Diamond Bar on this important initiative.