Survey Research Example

The Need: A private secondary school had long considered a summer camp in order to make better use of their facilities year-round, spread the costs of capital investment (and maintenance), and boost their visibility. However, despite the best intentions of time-strapped managers and board members, year after year they put off the project because of a lack of actionable, current information. They knew that if they didn’t act quickly, they would miss yet another summer of building a viable program.

How we helped: In five weeks, MGA was able to give this project the focus and attention it demanded. Using rigorous research methods, we designed a practical survey that was quick and easy to analyze – and yielded valuable information. We surveyed school parents about summer programming needs for their children. We gathered data  from the surrounding towns (including competitor pricing, program opportunities and unmet family needs). We provided a working financial model that managers could use to estimate revenue and costs for various program types and sizes.

The Results: School managers now have the information and analytical tools they need to pursue this long awaited program idea. They understand a great deal more about the necessary investment, likely pay back period and eventual return on investment of their new venture. They are now pursuing the most viable options.