Scenario 2: Your task now is to measure the uptake of home safety regulations introduced via legislation for the building industry (e.g. smoke alarms and hot water regulators).

Obviously ringing the population at random would be too costly as the regulation only applies to newly built homes (say in the last 12months).

The first step is to find out if there is a government or private body holding information on the target group (new building owners or building companies). Usually occupational groups have a union or professional register including a majority of those holding permits to work in the area.

If this does not exist, the telephone directory could help identify a proportion of those, but obviously excludes business too small to afford advertising, or businesses base don mobile numbers only, and definitely, those trading illegally in the building industry.

A survey of registered business numbers and mobile phone numbers could cover a greater proportion of the target group.

THE IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT YOU CONDUCT THIS SURVEY BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION AND REPEAT IT SEVERAL MONTHS OR YEARS AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION.