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Chapter 8

8.10 Measuring Public Education Success

Practice Statement:

An effective damage prevention education program includes structured annual or biennial (every two years) measurement(s) to gauge the success of the overall program.

Practice Description:

Damage prevention education program effectiveness can be gauged in several ways. Consider the following examples:

  • Use of a direct-mail or telephone survey to effectively determine how 811 center and/or member facility customers are hearing and recalling the damage prevention message.
  • Use of Arbitron Areas of Dominant Influence (ADI) boundaries to measure increases in 811 center call volume and/or member facility owners/operators’ one call messages is also an effective measurement. For a given area, these can be compared against the money and resources used in that area for further indications of program effectiveness.
  • The collection and tracking of individual or collective facility owners/operators’ damage information from year to year is another outstanding method of measuring success, providing that other internal factors at a given facility owner/operator remain constant.

References:

  • Various 811 centers including CT, GA, IL, IA, KY, MS, MO, NC, OK, OH, and WI
  • API Data Collection Initiative
  • INGAA Foundation Pipeline Safety Awareness Material Focus Group Research Report
  • “Presentation of Findings: OPS/DAMQAT Underground Facility Damage Prevention Study” (nationwide survey)
  • “Presentation of Findings: DAMQAT Pilot Evaluation Study” (regional survey)
  • Great Lakes Common Carrier Committee Six-State Survey
  • Virginia State Corporation Commission survey on why damages occur
  • PHMSA 9 Elements (PIPES ACT)

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