How much trust can people have in the results of a self-completion tool? How robust is the validation process?
A number of approaches have been adopted to validate the survey responses: • The guidance notes have been strengthened where possible to provide clear and explicit guidance on definitions and examples. These are presented as drop-down menus on the electronic tool and provided as a standalone document. • The assurance question represents 10% of the overall score, and half of that relates to an institution’s willingness to disclose its results. • The survey requires sign off by the Vice Chancellor, President, or a member of each institution’s Board of Governors. • The review process involves visits to a proportion of participants, focussing on newcomers to the Index. • Business in the Community provides a level of governance to the UTC programme – as well as providing any developmental improvements to the survey tool. • CSR Consultancy‘s validation process, including checks at the collection, analysis, aggregation and presentation stages, is independently assured by Arthur D Little.
