THEBIG PATHWATCH :

CROWD SOURCED DATA GATHERINGOR

how we learnt to stop worrying and love paths

Daniel Brett-Schneider, Head of EngagementEleanor Bullimore, Engagement Manager

The humble (and unloved) footpath

• Oldest element of transport infrastructure

• 140,000 miles of RoW in England and Wales

Walking is good for…- our physical health (believe it or not!)

- our mental health

- our NHS

- our environment

- our communities

- and the economy

Organising thought:“If we are the guardians of the path network what do we need to have to protect our paths for future generations?

• A national picture of the path network • Data on the volume and nature of path problems • More people engaged and feeling responsibility for and

pride in their path network

Phase 1 – Engagement & Data Gathering (July to Dec 2015)• To survey all the nations footpaths (England and

Wales)• To engage new audiences (target of 50% of BPW

participants being non members)

Phase 2 – Report writing and Campaign (now)• To produce a statistically robust state of the nation

report on which to campaign and influence policy and practice at a national and local level

Citizen Science: How it worked

App Downloadable survey

PATH DATA UPLOADED TO THE RAMBLERS

Fun activity packs

+ - =

METHODOLOGY

PATH DATA REPORTS SENT TO

LOCAL AUTHORITIES

1. Download the

app.

2. Pick one or

more 1km grid

square(s) to

survey.

3. Walk every

RoW in the

square,

recording

features found

(good and bad).

4. Take a

picture and

share on

social media.

How did the App work?

Getting the app right

We made a few crucial mistakes with getting the app fit for purpose…

1. Curtailed testing time

2. Registration had glitches and was not user friendly

3. Location services were faulty

Supporter journey

1. Walk every footpath in England and Wales

2. Produce a robust survey

3. Engage enough people to do 1 & 2

The mobile dilemma

…but not a popular one with all our members.

Be nationwide

Produce accurate data

Allow local authorities to respond to problems

Provide comparisons

Be easy to use

The survey must:

Mobile was the only option for delivering the project…

Who were our audiences?

Registered, not walking

AIM: To motivate them to go out and do a survey.

CHALLENGE: To understand why they’re not walking.

Surveyors

AIM: To motivate them to do even more squares.

CHALLENGE: To keep them interested and make sure

they are valued.

What did we achieve?

• 14,000 people on the journey• More than 75,800 surveys

submitted• Surveyed 45% of all squares• 128,000 features reported:

• Positive: 58,000• Negative: 70,000

• Collected 46,771 photographs

Established relationships with local authorities for the first time.

What did we discover?

In the summer paths get

overgrown.

In the winter paths get muddy.

They get blocked, locked, signs and stiles get broken and people build

over them.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

1.Produce the report

2.Launch the campaign

3.Pathwatch 2.0…?

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

Lesson:

It’s ok to make mistakes, because anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new (according to Einstein)

Lesson:

Be totally integrated across the organisation in your planning and approach with shared outcomes

Lesson

Be clear on Audiences and Stakeholders

Lesson

Build in enough development and test time and pilot

Lesson

Remember that citizen science is as much about engagement as is it is science

Lesson

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Lesson

Get the methodology right

(Before you embark on developing the technology!)

Lesson

Engage internally to engage externally

Lesson

Make the most of mobile in your supporter journey

Visit the CharityComms website

to view slides from past events,

see what events we have

coming up and to check out

what else we do:

www.charitycomms.org.uk

23 March 2016

London

#charitymobile

Mobile engagement

seminar

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