Surveys & Data Collection
Hear Directly from Your Citizens
Strong governance depends on understanding the priorities, experiences, and needs of citizens. Yet many Nations face significant barriers when trying to collect reliable community data. Surveys and census initiatives can be costly, technically complex, and time-consuming to design and implement.
The BC Regional Information Governance Centre (BC RIGC) supports Nations to conduct community surveys and census projects that generate high-quality, Nation-owned data for governance and planning.
Many Nations begin strengthening data governance through practical projects such as community surveys or census initiatives.
The BC RIGC provides support for Nations interested in strengthening their Nation-based data systems.
Working with You Start to Finish
The BC RIGC works alongside Nations throughout the lifecycle of survey and census initiatives, from planning, to implementation, to analysis, to reporting. Enabled by our Build Your Own Data Centre (BYODC) platform, our services include:
Project Scoping and Planning
The BC RIGC works with Nations to scope survey and census projects based on their governance priorities. This may include identifying the key questions the project is intended to answer, determining the appropriate population or sampling approach, and developing a realistic implementation plan.
Survey and Questionnaire Design
Access evidence-informed questionnaires developed through Nation-led Data Demonstration Projects. These templates can be adapted to reflect local governance priorities and reduce the time required to launch a survey.
Enumeration Planning
Receive guidance on how to organize a community census or survey initiative, including enumeration planning, outreach strategies, and approaches to maximizing participation.
Privacy and Confidentiality Materials
Use ready-to-adapt privacy statements, consent language, and confidentiality protocols designed to support responsible data collection and protect citizen information.
Communications Materials
Access templates and examples for community communications that explain the purpose of data collection initiatives and encourage participation.
Enumerator Training
The BC RIGC provides training materials and guidance for community members involved in data collection, including enumerators and project coordinators.
Platform Training
The BC RIGC team provides training on how to use the BYODC throughout the process, from survey administration, to participation monitoring, and data analysis tools. This includes training for all staff on how they can use the resulting data in their work.
Data Analysis and Reporting
The BC RIGC team can support Nations in reviewing results, generating visualizations, and preparing reports that translate survey findings into actionable insights for leadership and planning processes.
Change Management and Implementation Planning
The BC RIGC works with Nations to develop practical plans for how survey results lead to lasting improvements in governance capacity. This may include identifying priority indicators, integrating data into planning cycles, establishing roles and responsibilities for data stewardship, and developing processes for updating datasets in the future. This work helps ensure that data initiatives
On-the-ground Impact with Tla’amin Nation
Tla'amin Nation conducted a Nation-wide census to collect data aligned with community priorities using the BC RIGC survey and data collection tools. The Tla’amin project lead shared “Now we actually have something to start from. It’s not guessing—it’s like, this is what our people are telling us.”
Comparable Data Across Nations
When Nations choose to use shared survey frameworks, it also becomes possible to generate comparable data across communities.
This can support larger regional or province-wide analyses while maintaining full Nation control over participation and data governance.
Learn More
If your Nation is considering a community survey, census project, or other data collection initiative, the BC RIGC team is available to discuss tools, funding opportunities, and implementation support.