Good policy starts with citizens who feel heard.
Public organisations make decisions that touch everyone. Haystack helps governments, public agencies, and semi-public organisations understand what citizens think, need, and do, through qualitative and quantitative research that turns public opinion into clear direction for policy, services, and communication.
About the solution
What is Public & Citizens Insights?
Citizens are not customers in the usual sense. They cannot always choose another supplier, their expectations are shaped by trust as much as by service, and every public decision has to hold up to scrutiny. Public-sector research gives policy makers and public organisations the evidence they need to design, explain, and improve what they do — based on how citizens actually experience it.
At Haystack, we bring the same human understanding we apply to brands and consumers to the public domain. We measure opinion and satisfaction at scale, test how public communication lands, and bring citizens into the conversation through participation and co-creation — so that decisions are grounded in evidence, not in assumption.
Qual and quant, one team Large-scale citizen surveys tell you how many people think what. Focus groups, interviews, and co-creation sessions tell you why. At Haystack, both run as one integrated programme — so the numbers and the stories point in the same direction.
Built for public accountability Public research has to be transparent, robust, and defensible. We design every study with a clear methodology, representative sampling where it matters, and reporting that stands up in front of management, political decision-makers, and the public.
Research for organisations that serve the public
Whether you run a policy domain, a public service, or a network that millions of people rely on every day, the question is the same: are we reaching people, are we understood, and are we meeting their needs? Haystack works with public and semi-public organisations at every level to answer it.
National & regional government Ministries, departments, and agencies use citizen research to prepare policy, measure support for measures, monitor public opinion over time, and evaluate whether programmes reach the people they are designed for.
Cities & local authorities Municipalities and local bodies are closest to citizens. Resident surveys, neighbourhood consultations, and participation trajectories help them set priorities, measure satisfaction with local services, and build support for local projects.
Semi-public organisations & utilities Public transport, mobility, energy, water, postal, and other public-service providers serve everyone — not just a target group. We measure user satisfaction, perception, and reputation, and explore how services can become simpler and more accessible.
Communication & campaign teams Public communication only works if it is noticed, understood, and acted upon. We pre-test messages and campaigns with the audiences they are meant for, and post-test them to show what they actually achieved.
Make public decisions with the citizen in the room
At Haystack Consulting, we design public-sector research around your policy question, your target groups, and your timeline —not around a standard template. Whether you need a representative survey, a campaign evaluation, or a co-creation trajectory with residents, we bring the methodological rigour and the human curiosity to make the insight count.
Ideal Partner
Why partner with Haystack Consulting for public and citizen research
Since 1974, Haystack has built its reputation on one principle: human understanding is the foundation of every good decision. In the public domain, that principle matters even more. Citizens are diverse, their trust has to be earned, and the stakes of getting it wrong are shared by everyone.
We combine qualitative depth and quantitative scale in one team. Our researchers moderate sensitive conversations, design robust and representative surveys, and translate complex findings into clear, usable recommendations for policy makers, communication teams, and service managers.
We also know how public organisations work. We respond to public tenders and calls for proposals, we work within the specifications and timelines a procurement procedure demands, and we deliver documentation and reporting that are ready for internal approval, political decision-making, and — where needed — publication.
Unique process
Hear every citizen. Measure what matters. Act with confidence.
Public & citizens research at Haystack runs across two capability streams — quantitative and qualitative — each answering a different part of the same question: what do citizens think, why do they think it, and what will make a difference?
Quantitative methods
Citizen & User Surveys: Online, face-to-face, or mixed-mode surveys among citizens, residents, or service users. Designed to measure satisfaction with public services, priorities and needs, support for policy measures, and perceptions of public organisations — with sampling and weighting set up to reflect the population you serve.
Public Opinion Barometers & Tracking: Repeated waves with a consistent questionnaire to follow how public opinion, perceptions, and behaviour evolve over time. Tracking makes it possible to spot shifts early, benchmark results across years or regions, and measure the effect of new policy or service changes.
Campaign Pre-Testing & Post-Testing: Public campaigns aim to inform, reassure, or change behaviour. Pre-tests show whether a message, visual, or spot is noticed, understood, credible, and motivating among the intended audience — before the budget is spent. Post-tests measure reach, recall, comprehension, attitude shift, and intended or reported behaviour after the campaign has run.
Qualitative methods
Focus Groups & In-Depth Interviews: Group discussions and one-to-one interviews that explore how citizens experience a policy, a service, or a public message —and the motivations, concerns, and barriers behind their opinions. In-depth interviews are particularly suited to sensitive topics and to people who are less likely to speak up in a group.
Campaign Pre-Testing & Post-Testing: Public campaigns aim to inform, reassure, or change behaviour. Pre-tests show whether a message, visual, or spot is noticed, understood, credible, and motivating among the intended audience — before the budget is spent. Post-tests measure reach, recall, comprehension, attitude shift, and intended or reported behaviour after the campaign has run.
Reaching Hard-to-Reach Groups: Public policy has to work for everyone —including the people who rarely respond to surveys. We adapt recruitment, setting, language, and method to include groups such as people with low literacy or limited digital skills, newcomers, older citizens, young people, and vulnerable target groups.
Brand aligned
A research partner that public organisations can rely on
Citizen research is only valuable if it is trusted — by the organisation that commissions it, by the decision-makers who use it, and by the citizens it represents.
Independent and robus
Neutral question design, transparent methodology, and careful sampling and weighting. Our findings are built to hold up to scrutiny — internally, politically, and publicly.
Inclusive by design
We make sure the voices that are hardest to hear are part of the picture, with adapted methods, accessible materials, and fieldwork in the language of the participants.
Qual and quant in one programme
Measurement and meaning come from the same team and the same brief — so you receive one coherent story, not two separate reports.
Tender-ready and policy-ready
We work within public procurement requirements, timelines, and specifications, and deliver outputs that translate directly into policy choices, service improvements, and communication.
How we design and deliver your citizen research
From the first briefing or tender specification to the final presentation, every step is built around your policy or communication question. Haystack's qual and quant experts sit at the same table from day one.
Alignment
We clarify your policy or communication question, the target groups that matter, and the decisions the research has to support — and agree on the right qual/quant design, timing, and budget.
Fieldwork
Surveys, interviews, groups, and participation sessions run online or on location — with careful recruitment, local-language moderation, and GDPR-compliant data handling.
Delivery
Clear reports and presentations for your team and decision-makers, with concrete recommendations. Public summaries, dashboards, and workshops are available on request.
Research design
We build the questionnaire, discussion guide, or co-creation format from scratch, with neutral wording, accessible language, and a sampling plan that fits the population you serve.
Analysis & integration
Quantitative results and qualitative insight are brought together into one picture, broken down by target group and region where relevant, with drivers, barriers, and priorities made explicit.
Alignment
We clarify your policy or communication question, the target groups that matter, and the decisions the research has to support — and agree on the right qual/quant design, timing, and budget.
Research design
We make sure the voices that are hardest to hear are part of the picture, with adapted methods, accessible materials, and fieldwork in the language of the participants.
Fieldwork
Surveys, interviews, groups, and participation sessions run online or on location — with careful recruitment, local-language moderation, and GDPR-compliant data handling.
Analysis & integration
Quantitative results and qualitative insight are brought together into one picture, broken down by target group and region where relevant, with drivers, barriers, and priorities made explicit.
Delivery
Clear reports and presentations for your team and decision-makers, with concrete recommendations. Public summaries, dashboards, and workshops are available on request.
Don’t just take our word for it
"Great team to work with. Always innovating research agency for sensorial research!"
"Haystack brainstorms with us as a partner to create challenging, innovative, and custom-made projects."
"We have great professional experience with Haystack! They are reliable, dynamic, pleasant and highly flexible. They are specialised in sensory research among others."
"Haystack has a critical approach embedded in their company culture and methodologies. That is why we prefer to work with Haystack."
Ready to put citizens at the heart of your decisions?
The organisations that serve the public best are the ones that listen most carefully. If you're preparing a policy, a service change, a campaign, or a public tender, our team would love to connect.
Frequently asked questions
Does Haystack respond to public tenders?
Yes. We respond to public tenders and calls for proposals from public and semi-public organisations, and we are used to working within the specifications, award criteria, and timelines of a procurement procedure. Feel free to contact us when you are preparing a tender, or when you would like to discuss a research question before publishing one.
Do you do qualitative or quantitative research for the public sector
Both. We run representative surveys, barometers, and campaign tests on the quantitative side, and focus groups, in-depth interviews, and co-creation sessions on the qualitative side. Most of our public-sector projects combine the two, so you know both how many citizens think something and why.
Can you test our communication campaign before and after launch?
Yes. We pre-test messages, visuals, and campaign concepts with the intended audience to check whether they are noticed, understood, and motivating. After the campaign, we measure reach, recall, comprehension, and the effect on attitudes and behaviour, so you can account for the investment and improve the next campaign.
How do you make sure all citizens are represented?
We combine sampling, weighting, and mixed-mode data collection (online, face-to-face) to reflect the population you serve. For groups that are harder to reach, we adapt recruitment, language, and method (for example with on-location interviews or simplified materials), so their voice is part of the results.
How do you handle privacy and sensitive topics?
All research is carried out in line with GDPR. Participants are informed about the purpose of the research, results are reported anonymously, and sensitive topics are handled in settings that allow people to speak openly, such as one-to-one interviews.
Ready to put citizens at the heart of your decisions?
Society keeps changing, and so do the expectations citizens have of the organisations that serve them. Strong citizen research gives you the evidence to design better policy, deliver better services, and communicate in a way people understand and trust.
If you're ready to listen, our team is here to help.
