Statistically valid
Response counts are calibrated to produce ±5–9% margin of error at 95% confidence, scaled to community population — the same standard national firms publish to councils.
Outcomes
What success looks like
- A ranked, scored Priority Investment Rating table for capital planning and budgeting
- Defensible resident and stakeholder data for council, board, and bond-campaign presentations
- Demographically representative results across ward, age, income, and tenure
- Branded findings report your team can present without reformatting
- Full ownership of the raw dataset, cleaned data, GIS coordinates, and final report
- A baseline you can re-field every 2–3 years to trend satisfaction and priority shifts
Why Southwind
Built for the way your organization actually works
Demographically representative
Address-based random sample, demographic monitoring, and cross-tabulation across age, ward, household income, and tenure ensure results reflect the full community, not the loudest voices.
Council-ready format
Findings reports follow the format elected officials already recognize: executive summary, benchmark trend lines, Priority Investment Rating chart, and verbatim open-ended responses.
Defensible methodology
Importance-Satisfaction (I-S) analysis and Priority Investment Rating — the same framework cited in ETC Institute and NRC/Polco council reports. No proprietary black-box scoring.
Regional pricing
National firms typically quote $25,000–$60,000 for a CPI-equivalent statistically valid resident survey. Southwind delivers the same instrument structure, sampling rigor, and deliverables starting at $6,900.
You own everything
Raw dataset, cleaned dataset with block-level coordinates, final report, and presentation files are transferred to your organization. No platform subscription, no data retained by Southwind, no renewal lock-in.
What's Included
A complete scope — not a list of disconnected tasks
Community Priority Index℠ (CPI℠)
Statistically valid resident satisfaction and priority survey for cities, counties, and public agencies. Mirrors the structure of the ETC-style resident survey municipalities already recognize. Starting at $6,900.
Business Climate Index℠ (BCI℠)
Business community perception and climate assessment for chambers and EDOs — workforce, regulatory, infrastructure, and growth-barrier scoring. Starting at $2,800.
Staff Insight Survey℠ (SIS℠)
Confidential employee satisfaction and organizational health survey for city staff and departments. Starting at $2,200.
Full instrument scope
Standard CPI℠ covers overall service satisfaction, perceptions of place, city leadership, police and fire services, code enforcement, city maintenance, traffic flow, parks and recreation, city communications, customer service, and demographics — the same category breadth a council expects from a national firm.
Branded survey portal
Online portal hosted at [CommunityName]Survey.org, mobile-optimized and ADA-accessible, paired with mailed packets to a random residential address sample.
Sampling plan & fielding
Address-based sampling via national list brokerage, USPS-mailed invitations on city letterhead, plus email and SMS follow-ups where contact data is available. Spanish translation included on request.
Findings report & council presentation
Executive summary, full Priority Investment Rating analysis, benchmark comparisons, verbatim open-ends, data tables, and a virtual presentation of findings. In-person council presentation available as an add-on.
Our Process
How we deliver
- 01
Phase 1 — Develop the survey & sampling plan
Kickoff with staff to confirm goals and service categories. Three to four drafts of the instrument, Spanish translation available, city-letterhead cover letter, and a calibrated address-based sampling plan. Deliverable: approved instrument, branded survey portal link, and written sampling plan.
- 02
Phase 2 — Administer the survey
Mailed packets to every household in the sample, email and SMS follow-ups to non-respondents, address verification, and a standing QC protocol with 10% supervisor review. Deliverable: raw and cleaned datasets, tabulated summary, and full verbatim open-ended responses.
- 03
Phase 3 — Analyze, report, and present
Priority Investment Rating scoring (CPI℠ = Importance% × (1 − Satisfaction%)), working session with staff to review preliminary findings, final written report, and presentation of findings. Deliverable: final report, raw dataset with block-level coordinates, and project-manager presentation.
Who It's For
Organizations we serve with this work
- Cities, counties, townships, and public agencies preparing capital plans, bond campaigns, or strategic plans
- Communities currently spending $25K–$60K with a national firm and looking for the same rigor at regional pricing
- Chambers of commerce and EDOs measuring business climate and barriers to growth
- City managers and HR directors needing a confidential view of internal organizational health
- Communities running statutory or board-facing engagement that must be defensible in public record
- Industrial parks, authorities, and regional partnerships measuring employer sentiment
Project Timeline
From kickoff to council in 4–8 weeks
Week 1
Kickoff & Survey Design
Goals, service categories, sampling plan. First instrument draft.
Week 2
Revisions & Approval
Up to two revision rounds. City sign-off. Portal staged at [Community]Survey.org.
Weeks 3–5
Fielding
Mail drop, email and SMS follow-ups, low-response targeting, daily QC.
Week 6
Analysis & CPI℠
Data cleaning, weighting, Priority Investment Rating, draft report.
Weeks 7–8
Findings & Council Presentation
Working session with staff, final report, virtual council presentation.
Add-Ons
Build your scope
Optional deliverables you can layer onto a base engagement.
Custom Interactive Dashboard
Web-based results viewer, filterable by service and demographic.
GIS Mapping
Geocoded response heat maps and geographic satisfaction patterns.
Benchmarking Visualizations
Compare results to Oklahoma / Kansas community averages.
Demographic Filtering Report
Cross-tab analysis by age, income, tenure, and ownership.
Expanded Mailed Sample
Add households beyond the standard hybrid sample to oversample a ward, annexed area, or rural fringe.
Spanish Translation
Full survey translation and bilingual report summary.
In-Person Council Presentation
On-site delivery; travel quoted by region.
Public Meeting Facilitation
Moderated community discussion of findings.
Department Analysis
Individual department-level breakdown.
CivicPulse℠ Annual Trend Reporting
Year-over-year comparison, Year 2 and beyond.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How is the CPI℠ Score calculated?
CPI℠ Score = Importance% × (1 − Satisfaction%). The score reflects the sum of the Unmet Needs Rating and the Importance Rating, weighted equally. Scores of 125 and above are Highest Priority; 100–124 High; 50–99 Medium; below 50 Low. This is the same Priority Investment Rating math published in ETC Institute and Polco/NRC reports.
How do you compare to ETC Institute, Polco, or the National Research Center?
Same methodology, same deliverable structure, same statistical standards — built by a team with direct experience in the I-S framework. The differences are price (typically 60–80% lower), turnaround (4–8 weeks vs. 12–20), and ownership (you keep the data; there is no platform subscription).
Civic Intelligence is a newly launched program — why should we trust it?
The methodology is not new — Importance-Satisfaction analysis and Priority Investment Rating have been the public-sector survey standard for 25+ years. What is new is Southwind offering it at regional pricing. We are actively engaging founding clients in 2026 and offering a written satisfaction guarantee: if the final report does not meet the deliverable standard defined in the SOW, the engagement is restructured at no additional cost. References available on request as engagements complete.
How long does an engagement take?
Standard engagements run four to eight weeks from kickoff to council delivery, depending on survey type and revision turnaround. Timeline assumes the city returns instrument feedback within five business days per round. National firms typically quote 12–20 weeks for the same scope.
What does it cost?
Community Priority Index℠ starts at $6,900. Business Climate Index℠ starts at $2,800. Staff Insight Survey℠ starts at $2,200. Communities that run a CPI℠ alongside a BCI℠ in the same fiscal year receive a combined Civic Health Snapshot at no additional cost. Founding-client pricing available through 2026.
How do you reach residents?
Standard methodology is an online + mailed hybrid: branded online portal paired with printed packets mailed to a random residential address sample of 1,500–2,800 households, with email and SMS follow-ups. Intercept/in-person and internal staff census options are available.
Who owns the data?
You do. All data, reports, and dashboards are delivered to your organization. There are no platform subscriptions and no data is retained by Southwind.
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