Analyzing public voices
The Challenge
I was the lead data analyst for the Province of British Columbia’s Watershed Strategy What We Heard report. The province had solicited public comments on its proposed new strategy, and we were brought on board to analyze and report on what the public had to say.
The Approach
We took an old-school approach to qualitative text analysis—working through over 70,000 words of community input without AI assistance—to distill themes and messages for the report. In parallel, we performed quantitative analysis on data from an accompanying public survey. Using these methods, we produced a comprehensive and accessible report that accurately reflected public input on the proposed strategy.
Airtable played a crucial role in managing the large volume of qualitative data, helping us sort and synthesize the input effectively. The result was a well-rounded summary of public opinions and feedback on the strategy’s key questions.
Lessons Learned
This project highlighted the importance of having robust tools to manage data effectively. Airtable was a lifesaver, helping us navigate the epic workload with efficiency. Additionally, the project underscored the need for simple, consistent survey questions across platforms to streamline data collection and analysis. These small but significant insights shaped the overall success of the project.