Best questions for citizen survey about diversity and inclusion

Here are some of the best questions for a citizen survey about diversity and inclusion, plus tips on how to design them. If you want to build a survey fast, you can generate one in seconds with Specific, so you never have to start from scratch.

What are the best open-ended questions for citizen survey about diversity and inclusion

Open-ended questions help us capture genuine voices and uncover context that single-choice questions miss. They're ideal when we want to encourage honest, reflective input—especially when exploring sensitive topics like diversity and inclusion. Open formats are great for surfacing unexpected experiences or perspectives and fostering richer community insight.

1. In your own words, what does diversity and inclusion mean to you in our community?

2. Can you describe a time when you felt welcomed or included in your neighborhood?

3. Have you ever witnessed or experienced exclusion in your community? Please share what happened.

4. What are some ways our city can better support underrepresented groups?

5. Which aspects of diversity do you think are most celebrated in your area, and which are overlooked?

6. How comfortable do you feel expressing your cultural background or beliefs where you live?

7. Are there public events or spaces you feel could be more inclusive? How?

8. What would you change to improve inclusivity in local services or facilities?

9. How do you think we can encourage more respect and understanding between different groups?

10. Do you have suggestions for programs or policies that could make our community more inclusive?

Using open-ended questions like these—along with transparency, anonymity, and inclusive language—is a recommended best practice for citizen DEI surveys. This encourages honest conversation and makes sure everyone feels safe and heard [1].

What are the best single-select multiple-choice questions for citizen survey about diversity and inclusion

Single-select multiple-choice questions are perfect when you need quantifiable data or an easy way to kick off conversations. They streamline choices for respondents, removing decision fatigue and making participation easy. Later, you can dig deeper with follow-ups based on these responses.

Question: How included do you feel in city activities or events?

• Very included

• Somewhat included

• Neutral

• Somewhat excluded

• Very excluded

Question: Which area needs the most improvement in terms of community inclusivity?

• Public events

• Local government services

• Neighborhood groups

• Education

• Other

Question: How informed do you feel about city initiatives around diversity and inclusion?

• Very informed

• Somewhat informed

• Not informed at all

When to follow up with "why?" Often, you’ll want to ask "why?" right after someone chooses an answer—especially if responses show someone feels excluded or uninformed. For example, if a respondent selects "Somewhat excluded," a follow-up like "Why do you feel that way?" or "Can you share a recent experience?" adds context you wouldn’t get otherwise.

When and why to add the "Other" choice? Include "Other" when you want to capture uncommon or unlisted views. It signals you’re open to fresh perspectives, and a follow-up question ("Please specify") can uncover unique community needs or issues you hadn’t listed. This is especially important in DEI surveys, where inclusivity in options shows respect for everyone’s story [2].

NPS-style question for citizen diversity and inclusion surveys

Net Promoter Score (NPS) goes beyond customer feedback—it’s a straightforward, quantifiable way to measure overall satisfaction with diversity and inclusion efforts. In the context of citizen surveys, an NPS-style question like “How likely are you to recommend our community as inclusive to people from diverse backgrounds?” helps benchmark progress, pinpoint advocates, and quickly spot detractors needing more attention.

• Respondents answer on a scale (usually 0–10), revealing both quantitative data and, with a follow-up (“Why did you choose this score?”), qualitative reasons.

You can generate an NPS survey for citizen diversity and inclusion instantly on Specific.

The power of follow-up questions

Follow-up questions are where surveys shift from static forms to dynamic conversations. Instead of blunt answers, you get color and context—especially important for DEI surveys, where answers are rarely black and white. Our automatic follow-up feature uses AI to generate context-aware questions: it reacts to the previous response, digging for details like a real interviewer. This gives you richer, fuller stories and saves your team hours compared to manual follow-ups.

• Citizen: "I don’t feel very included at events."

• AI follow-up: "What would make events feel more inclusive for you?"

How many follow-ups should you ask? Usually, 2–3 are enough for strong clarity. But you’ll want a system that stops when you have the info you need—Specific allows you to tune this with a simple skip-to-next option.

This makes it a conversational survey: These AI-driven follow-ups create a back-and-forth, making the experience feel like a genuine conversation, not a cold data extraction.

AI survey analysis: Worried about analyzing mountains of text? Automated tools like Specific make sense of all unstructured replies—read our piece on how to analyze citizen DEI survey responses using AI for more.

Conversational, AI-powered follow-ups are new—try generating a survey and see the experience for yourself.

How to write a prompt for GPTs to create great citizen diversity and inclusion questions

The quickest way to get started with new survey questions is by using AI prompts. Try something simple first:

Suggest 10 open-ended questions for citizen survey about diversity and inclusion.

But prompts with more context always outperform generic ones. Add details about your city, your goals, or the population you’re surveying:

We're designing a diversity and inclusion survey for a mid-sized city to understand how different community groups perceive inclusivity in city events, services, and governance. Suggest 10 open-ended questions tailored to this context.

Next, use prompts to organize and deepen your list:

Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.

Choose a category you want to dig into, then:

Generate 10 questions for categories like public events, city communication, or neighborhood inclusion.

What is a conversational survey?

A conversational survey is more than just a series of form fields—it’s a responsive dialogue. Each answer can trigger smart, real-time follow-up questions, digging into context exactly as a skilled interviewer would, all powered by AI. The result: higher engagement, clearer feedback, and more actionable insights than you’d get from a typical spreadsheet survey.

Here’s how AI-driven survey generation beats the old way:

Why use AI for citizen surveys? AI survey examples save time, deliver richer stories, and remove common survey biases. The AI asks, probes, and clarifies instantly—while you stay in control of the topics and tone. Anyone can create a conversational survey with AI, no expertise required. Learn how to create a citizen diversity and inclusion survey step-by-step with Specific.

With Specific, both the survey creator and participant enjoy a best-in-class, frictionless experience. The conversation feels natural to citizens, and the feedback is actionable, real, and easy to analyze for organizers.

See this diversity and inclusion survey example now

Dive into a conversational survey for citizen diversity and inclusion and experience how nuanced, real-time feedback helps you design better, more inclusive communities. Try it to engage your community and unlock deeper insights.