Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment: consultation analysis

Methodology

Receiving Responses

The consultation was available on Citizen Space, the Scottish Government’s online portal for public consultations. In addition, respondents could submit written responses via email or post. Where responses were submitted via email or hard copy, these were entered onto Citizen Space.

The consultation consisted of nine closed questions and 13 free-text questions.

Thematic Coding

For each open-ended question in the consultation, AECOM developed a robust framework to analyse the free text comments provided. This was used to ensure the frequency and strength of feeling is accurately reported. This process is known as coding. All responses received were read by a technical expert and grouped into themes to achieve meaningful analysis. Each coder’s work was checked internally by AECOM. The work was also checked by three independent peer reviewers as part of our quality control procedures.

Some free text comments were not relevant to the question but considered relevant to another question. These comments were analysed with responses to the relevant question.

Analysis and Reporting

The consultation was open to all and, therefore, respondents were self-selecting. This, coupled with the fact respondents could choose which of the questions they answered, means the findings should be viewed as indicative of the views of the wider population and any identified sub-groups rather than being representative.

Respondents were not obliged to answer all questions in the consultation questionnaire. The number of respondents who did answer each question is shown in each of the tables throughout the report. The tables include the percentages of all respondents and the valid percentages (excluding those who answered “don’t know” and those who did not answer at all). The number of respondents is referred to as “n=” throughout the report.

Where percentages do not sum to 100 per cent in the report, this is due to rounding or where more than one response was permitted.

Throughout the report, the analysis of responses is presented in the order the questions featured in the consultation questionnaire. Where the results of closed questions are shown in the main body of the report, the results are shown for all respondents who answered the question. The tables in Appendix B provide a breakdown of responses to closed questions by respondent type (i.e. individuals and organisations separately) and organisation sector.

The Scottish Government also held three workshops among a broad audience, but mostly among those working in areas around assessment. Notes from these workshops have been included in the analysis. By and large, these attendees covered the same issues as those raised in responses to the consultation. Only new or different issues arising from the workshop have been included in the report. These are issues raised by individuals at the workshops and do not necessarily represent the views of all workshop attendees.

Weight of opinion

To assist the reader in interpreting the findings, a framework is used to convey the most to least commonly identified themes in responses to each question:

• Few respondents, fewer than 10 respondents
• Some respondents, between 10-39 respondents
• Many respondents, between 40-60 respondents
• Most respondents, more than 60 respondents