This article will guide you on how to create a citizen survey about local government performance. With Specific, you can build a high-quality, conversational survey in seconds—just generate and launch.
Steps to create a survey for citizens about local government performance
If you want to save time, just generate a survey with Specific right now—it's instant, accurate, and tailored to your needs.
Tell what survey you want.
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You don't even need to read further. Our AI leverages expert knowledge, crafting professional, targeted questions for citizen surveys about local government performance in seconds. Plus, it follows up with personalized, conversational questions so you get the insights that really matter. If you want to create any other type of survey, just start from here.
Why citizen surveys on local government performance matter
We’re seeing a lot of missed opportunities where governments don’t listen closely to citizens' needs and experiences. The numbers highlight this gap—between 2021 and 2023, the United Kingdom saw an 11% drop in citizen satisfaction with local public services and only 32% of patients felt satisfied with their local NHS hospital, compared to 80% in 1998. [1] Not running these surveys? You’re missing out on:
Tracking shifts in satisfaction: Catching trends early helps you act before they become real problems.
Making better decisions: Understanding what matters most allows for targeted improvements in essential areas—like infrastructure, communication, or emergency services.
Building trust: People want to know their voice matters. Asking what they think is step one to rebuilding trust in local government.
Across the globe, the same story plays out: South Africa’s citizen satisfaction index hit a five-year low at 51.1, and in Bangladesh, more than half (56%) of residents in one study were deeply dissatisfied with local services and infrastructure. [2] [3] Consistent feedback lets local authorities pinpoint challenges and measure progress for the people who matter—citizens themselves. That’s the real benefit of citizen feedback. For more on how these insights drive public initiatives, check out our guide to best questions for citizen surveys on local government performance.
What makes a good survey on local government performance?
Not every survey is created equal. The best citizen surveys about government performance focus on clear, unbiased questions and a friendly, conversational tone. This encourages honest feedback—crucial if we want to improve services and public trust.
Bad practices | Good practices |
|---|---|
Leading or complex questions | Simple, neutral questions |
Too many required fields | Relevant questions only |
Formal/legal language | Conversational, approachable tone |
No room for open answers | Opportunities to explain “why” |
The real measure of a good survey? High-quality, plentiful responses. You want both—the more (and better) data you collect, the more insights you’ll uncover to direct real change.
Question types with examples for citizen survey about local government performance
Survey questions come in different flavors, and each serves a distinct purpose.
Open-ended questions help you uncover citizens’ real stories and pain points. Use them when you want deeper, nuanced feedback, especially around complex issues. For example:
What has been your experience with local government services in the past year?
If you could improve one thing about our local infrastructure, what would it be and why?
Single-select multiple-choice questions make analysis easier when options are clear. Useful for checking satisfaction or identifying key pain points:
How satisfied are you with local waste management services?
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neutral
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
NPS (Net Promoter Score) question gives you a fast temperature check—ideal for benchmarking and tracking year-over-year. If you’d like a template, create a NPS citizen survey here. Example:
How likely are you to recommend our town/city administration to a friend or neighbor? (0 = Not at all likely, 10 = Extremely likely)
Followup questions to uncover "the why" can transform so-so data into actionable insights by asking for clarification. Use them when a response is vague or begs for context:
You mentioned local roads need improvement. Could you share a specific example or situation?
If you’d like to dive deeper, explore more sample survey questions and tips for creating them.
What is a conversational survey?
A conversational survey feels like chatting naturally—no stiff forms or intimidating paperwork. This is where Specific’s expertise really shines. Our platform lets you create surveys that talk with people, not at them. Respondents answer one question at a time, and—unlike old-school methods—the survey will ask relevant follow-up questions using AI, just like a skilled interviewer.
Let’s compare:
Manual surveys | AI-generated surveys |
|---|---|
Static, generic forms | Expertly tailored for your audience and topic |
No real-time followup | Live follow-up questions for deeper insight |
Time-consuming to build & analyze | Instant creation & analysis with AI |
Formal, off-putting experience | Natural, mobile-friendly conversations |
Why use AI for citizen surveys? Because AI survey generation—like the AI survey example you can build with Specific—means you get specialized, high-quality questions (plus followups) instantly. You’ll spend less time building and more time learning. It’s smoother for respondents, too, which increases completion rates. For practical tips, read our guide on survey creation and analysis.
At Specific, we take conversational surveys seriously—the experience is world-class, making the feedback process engaging for everyone, whether you’re running a simple poll or a detailed citizen feedback project.
The power of follow-up questions
Here’s what often gets lost with rigid, traditional surveys: context. Follow-up questions are the heart of conversational surveys, and Specific’s AI handles this automatically. Instead of leaving you with cryptic answers or needing to chase clarifications over email, our system jumps in with smart, context-aware follow-ups right away. For a deep dive into how this works, see our article on automated AI followup questions.
Here’s how it can play out if you skip followups:
Citizen: “Transport is a problem.”
AI follow-up: “Can you tell me more? Is it about buses, roads, or something else?”
How many followups to ask? Generally, 2-3 rounds are enough. And you can enable settings to stop once you’ve got the depth you need—no one wants to feel interrogated. Specific’s flexible configuration lets you manage the intensity and flow to match your goals.
This makes it a conversational survey: Natural, context-aware probing is what transforms one-way questionnaires into a dialog. That’s the hallmark of a real conversational survey.
AI survey analysis made easy: With so much unstructured data, old analysis tools fail. But with AI—like you’ll find in Specific—it’s simple to analyze, map key themes, and summarize responses instantly. If you want to see how, try the AI survey response analysis tool or check our article on analyzing citizen survey responses with AI.
These smart followup questions are a new concept. Try generating a survey and experience how much richer your data becomes—without any extra effort.
See this local government performance survey example now
Get actionable insights with a conversational survey that asks smart followups, engages citizens, and makes analysis instant—start building your own survey today with expert AI in your corner.