Scottish Islands Survey (2023-2024) Prior Information Notice

Descriptions

This notice aims at alerting potential suppliers to the forthcoming procurement of the Scottish Islands Survey 2023. The Scottish Government wishes to inform the market of an upcoming tender opportunity for the design and delivery of the Scottish Islands Survey 2023. This notice is a prior information notice only and it is envisaged a separate contract notice will be published when the tender goes live. This is expected to be May 2023. Please note the project timescales and the outline of requirements provided below are indicative only and subject to change. The survey will cover a wide range of social and economic issues affecting those living in Scotland’s island communities. It will build on a previous survey in 2020 (the National Islands Plan Survey) by exploring perceptions of change, improvement or deterioration to island life over time, in relation to the twelve objectives set out in the Scottish Government’s National Islands Plan. The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 introduced measures that will assist Scottish Government in meeting the unique needs of Scotland’s islands. The National Islands Plan (2019) sets out the main objectives and strategy of Scottish Ministers that will be used to improve outcomes for island communities. This plan aims to improve people’s lives in Scotland's islands. In October 2020, 20,000 surveys were posted to adult residents of 76 permanently inhabited islands, with options to complete it on paper, online or by phone, and in English or Gaelic. A total of 4,347 people responded to the survey from 59 islands, giving a response rate of 22%. The Scottish Islands Survey (2023) will gather the views of island residents to improve the islands' evidence base and help measure progress towards the Islands Plan's strategic objectives. Carrying out a survey in 2023 will allow for direct comparison with the 2020 findings. This information will build our evidence base by showing how experiences of island life are changing over time. As in 2020, the survey will explore perceptions of change, improvement or deterioration to island life, giving us a sense of the impact and effectiveness of the plan on island communities. Since, this is a repeat of a previous survey, methods must provide comparable data so time-series analysis can be conducted. The method will comprise a sample survey of all the inhabited Scottish Islands. Though the survey should largely produce quantifiable data, it should also contain an open-ended question to collect in-depth responses as required. Contractors are asked to consider a multi-mode approach. The contractor may outline a suggested approach but must explain and justify their decision. Internet connectivity is a particular issue in some islands and the contractor must provide a postal and/or telephone survey if they elect to use an online survey to mitigate digital exclusion. The survey questions should broadly replicate those used in the 2020 survey. There are a large number of Gaelic speakers concentrated in some islands, such as the Na h-Eileanan Siar. The contractor should provide the option to complete the survey in English or Gaelic, and should specify how they would meet requests for translation into any other language that may be requested. The Survey has to take place in October 2023 to reduce any seasonality effect when comparing from last time. Results should be weighted to reflect the profile of Scotland’s island populations in terms of subregion, age and gender. Statistical testing should take place and only statistically significant results should be reported. The contractor is expected to design the recruitment process in a way that the sample contains people from different age groups, genders and island subregions. The contractor will also be expected to identify any specific groups for inclusion, such as those with protected characteristics.