Event

Understanding and addressing trust barriers in social surveys

This event is organised as part of the ongoing City St Georges, ESS and NatCen webinar series
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  • Event time:
    20th November 2025 13:00 – 14:00
  • Format:
    online

Véronique Siegler and Dan Finch (Office for National Statistics, ONS) will provide an overview of recent work to better understand and address trust-related barriers to respondent engagement in social surveys. 

The work began with a review of eight research projects that explored how different aspects of trust influence people’s willingness to participate. Drawing on these findings, a behavioural insights workshop was held to identify what is already being done to build trust, where gaps remain and where there are potential opportunities for improvement. 

Finally, the presentation will share the results of a pilot marketing campaign in Birmingham, UK, designed to test a practical approach to addressing some of these key trust barriers and encourage greater engagement with social surveys.

Speakers

  • Véronique Siegler
    Government Social Researcher at the Office for National Statistics
    With 18 years’ experience as a Government Social Researcher at the Office for National Statistics, Dr Véronique Siegler brings a comprehensive understanding of the statistical value chain. She began her ONS career in analytical work on topics such as well-being and social capital and contributed to the OECD Guidelines on Measuring Trust. She later led the Survey on Living Conditions as a survey manager through the Covid-19 pandemic. In recent years, she has managed a team dedicated to enhancing the efficiency and quality of data collection, with a strong focus on inclusivity and trust.
  • Dan Finch
    Head of Marketing and Social Media at the ONS
    Dan Finch is currently the Head of Marketing and Social Media at the ONS, where he’s worked for the last 6 years. Prior to this, he led the marketing campaign for the highly successful Census 2021. The campaign played a major contribution to making the 22nd census of modern times the UK’s most complied with ever, achieving the highest comparable completion rate of any large country in the world and winning an IPA Effectiveness Award for the campaign. Dan has a keen interest in digital marketing, especially social media.