Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras has launched an online survey to gauge city residents’ level of satisfaction with various municipal services.
The municipality’s director in charge of service evaluation Abdullah Al-Hashmi said: “The aim of the online survey is to offer the best services to city residents after getting the public’s feedback.”
Al-Hashmi expected the city’s 4 million residents including expatriates to answer the opinion poll questionnaire accurately and truthfully.
He said: “The evaluation department will study people’s views and suggestions and use them as a guideline to find solutions to various issues.
“The survey will also help us obtain a real picture of current municipal services.
“A special action team from the evaluation department will analyze the information supplied in the opinion poll.
“The findings will be used to set priorities when developmental projects and services are implemented.”
He said the questionnaire requires detailed answers and covers all districts in the city.
The survey also gives residents an opportunity to write about the difficulties they face in their districts.
He added: “The municipality should maintain close contact with the people to maintain awareness of their views on its services.
“Residents’ suggestions are needed so that the municipality can offer services they want.”
The municipality believes the most effective way to learn about people’s needs is with the help of an opinion poll allowing all sections of society to easily participate.
Al-Hashmi said: “The questions are on services such as roads, streets and cleaning and public hygiene.
“The evaluation department held a number of meetings with all service departments and identified the major services offered by each of them before preparing the questionnaire.”
A participant in the survey will have to state whether he is satisfied, partly satisfied or not at all satisfied with each service.
If he has no opinion on a service, he can mark the appropriate box.
He said the department sought the help of a specialized company to conduct the opinion poll.
Discussing his expectations on the success of the poll, the official said: “It is not yet time to predict its success or failure. One has to wait until the survey is completed.”
A participant is given three months to file his answers.
The results of the poll will be submitted to the mayor, he said.
