Industry overview
What is shaping defence
Defence organisations work with suppliers, veterans and the public on sensitive topics. Every engagement in this sector is handled under strict confidentiality and clearance requirements.
- Indigenous manufacturing is building a new supplier base
- Veteran welfare and resettlement need better evidence
- Public perception supports recruitment
Client background
A civic administration body, working in Four cantonment areas. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A civic administration body
- Sector
- Defence
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Government research, Quantitative research, Offline data collection (CAPI)
Client challenge
The administration wanted to understand residents’ satisfaction with water, sanitation, roads and grievance services.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: resident satisfaction with civic services in cantonment areas.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of households.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 7 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 2,000 households.
- households2,000
Audiences we typically reach in defence
Defence suppliers and MSMEsVeterans and familiesServing personnel (where permitted)Young people considering careersThe general public
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Four cantonment areas. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2Household survey
- 3Insight
We surveyed civilian households about service quality, reliability and grievance experiences, with results analysed by area.
Government researchQuantitative researchOffline data collection (CAPI)
Sampling strategy
- households
- 2,000
- Respondents were selected across Four cantonment areas using quotas set in advance for each location and respondent type, so no single area or group dominated.
Data collection
- Trained local-language interviewers conducted interviews in person on tablets (CAPI), with time and location recorded for every interview.
Data quality & validation
- Back-checks on a share of completed interviews
- Time and location checks on field interviews
- Supervisor accompaniment in the field
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
Key findings
- Grievance resolution timelines were the weakest area.
Residents valued responsiveness as much as service quality.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: residents valued responsiveness as much as service quality.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: grievance resolution timelines were the weakest area.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The administration introduced online grievance tracking and response-time standards.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Evaluation findings with programme recommendations
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how ready are local suppliers?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.