Proposal for assessing the UK’s

Overall Objective The goal of this research proposal is to provide Tangent Company LLC an accurate, detailed plan of the team's research goals, methodology, and progress to ensure the project is in alignment with Tangent's overall expectations.The goal of the research itself is to provide Tangent the knowledge to fully understand water usage, management, issues, and perceptions in the United Kingdom for future business sessions. Our research provides all of the understandings to what Tangent's expectations are regarding the objectives. Specific Aims The team provided a concise quantitative analysis involving water quality, precipitation, water consumptions and usage in homes of the I-J market as well as an accurate qualitative examination of consumer perceptions and attitudes of water in the I-J.This research focused primarily on households with a decentralized water supply, but will examine the Auk's overall infrastructure for water usage, treatment, and disposal. The Auk's existing problems with water supply, quality, disposal, and ending is clearly defined and the consumer perceptions of these problems are surveyed. PROJECT SCOPE We accomplished most of the research goals we have planned. The team used secondary research methods to define water use and the disposal infrastructure in the ELK.The research was focused on individual residences, particularly looking at the market of the point of entry, point of use, and point of discharge in homes with decentralized water. Secondary research defined how water is supplied to residences. Information on existing problems with the Auk's water supply, quality, espousal and sustainability funding is readily available and current. The team will contained information that is unavailable anywhere else. The primary research is the most important, as the team was able to talk to individuals and get better understanding of the overall perception from consumers.The one condition we were not unable to accomplish is primary res earch outside the greater London area. We were able to get good sample in the city of London and other small cities around the area. The primary research was done using both surveys and interviews. We were able to get a large amount of people to complete he online surveys even before arrival in London by using an assigned student- partner from New Packinghouse University as a distribution channel.In addition to distributing the surveys, he has been tasked with putting together a focus group with environmental majors at â€Å"Bucks† University and is gathering recent newspaper articles that involve water issues happening now. Since water is such a hot topic in the I-J, the team feels that we will get a lot of good information from interviewing the local residents and they will have a lot to say about it? SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED BY RESEARCH The following list of questions combines specific questions developed by Tangent Company LLC and questions that had developed dur ing the team meeting with Tangent in February.This list does not include specific questions developed specifically for the interview and surveys. O What is the water supply in the I-J? O What does the water supply infrastructure look like? 0 How old is the piping in the I-J? O How is water delivered to residences? O What percentage of the population uses a decentralized water supply? 0 How much of the water is centrally treated? O How is the water supply and waste water collection funded? What is the size of the market for water softeners? Septic tanks? 0 How many homes use well water? What is the typical water use pattern in the I-J? O How does water use in the I-J differ from that of the United States? O What are the actual water supply problems? What are the perceived problems? DHOW long could the I-J survive a drought? O What are the actual water quality problems? What are the perceived problems? Is the water high in iron? Does it require softeners? O What are the actual wastewa ter disposal problems? What are the perceived problems? 0 What percent of the water is wastewater? Is it influenced by surface water? O Are there water infrastructure funding problems? What are the prevailing consumer attitudes towards water supply, quality, disposal, and funding problems? 0 Are UK residences concerned about their water supply? O Where are the discrepancies between attitudes and reality? O What is the level of understanding and acceptance for water recycling? 0 What is the perceived value of water recycling to the end-user? O Is there competitive technology in the I-J? O What are some of the water industry associations in the I-J? O Who are the ejaculating bodies and what are the regulatory requirements for water in the I-J? 0 What are the water quality standards in the I-J?RESEARCH METHODS Information gathered was comprised of a combination primary and secondary research techniques that will conclude if Tangent's water recycling units will be successful in the U. K market or not. By using both types of research methods, the final report has a good balance of qualitative and quantitative data. The secondary research covers the entire United Kingdom, whilst the primary research will ultimately be limited to the greater London area. Primary Research Methodology There are two different types of primary research: specific and exploratory.Exploratory is dealing more with open-ended research, like having unstructured interviews with small group of people. Specific research is precise and is used to solve the problem exploratory has identified, but specific is more expensive to conduct. In this case exploratory would be the better option considering the budget. Our primary research consisted of randomly selected man-on-the-street interviews, online surveys, and in-depth interviews/focus groups. With the help of our Bucks tuned-partner, surveys were be distributed via email to his contacts prior to the team's departure.In-person interviews were the be st method to gather qualitative data. Here is where we need to talk about our interviews and the names of the two men and their titles. Also here is were we need to add how many surveys were completed. The process for interviewing happened in person and residents will be randomly selected. Once we have all our questions and the format configured, the primary research was conducted. This happened at the beginning of the trip to give us an dead of how people feel about this problem to help determine the ideal target to gather more in-depth information about recycling waste water.Once we gathered all the data from the primary research, then the analysis plan was put together to help organize the data to find a conclusion about the proposal with recycling waste water. This helps with all the different sources that were used to gather the information that we need to present to the client and gives them a clear view of the raw data to help determine whether their product will be successfu l and if it would make an impact on the water supply. Sources of Data Data was obtained by distributing surveys and holding interviews with industry experts.The survey was created in Qualities, a secure online survey software system. This system allowed us to effectively create, distribute, and analyze data collected. The survey was distributed via email to I-J residents. Collection and Assessment of Data Survey and interview questions was protested by five people including Bucks partner The survey will be sent prior to departure to our partner at New Packinghouse University for distribution. The survey will also be distributed to the team's current arsenal contacts in the UK with a request to forward to other residents in order to get a large sample: no less than 100 completed surveys.In addition to email distribution, surveys will be physically conducted by the team while in London. Surveying a variety of people including, environmental experts to the average home owner to gather information about an array of perceptions from all ages, incomes, and education levels. The persons selected for the survey will receive a link via email to fill the questionnaire out over the internet. Once the survey is submitted, the results will be collected and processed by the Qualities software.In-depth interviews will be conducted face-to-face in London. The interviews are still in the process of being scheduled, but contact has been made with various organizations from research facilities to water companies. Professor Tony Allen- Department of Geography at King's College in London has already agreed to an interview and has emailed links to credible online sources for our secondary research. He is a member of The London Water Research Group and is looking to gather a few more industry experts for the team to interview.The plan is to speak to no less than 3 industry experts while in London. The interviews will last approximately 15-20 minutes and will consist of a combination of closed and open- ended questions. The interviews will be conducted by a single team member acting as the interviewer and asking the questions, another team member will take diligent notes, while another will moderate the interview by watching the clock and keeping interview on schedule, ensuring that we respect the interviewee's time.Format for Final Results The final layout for our final primary research results is still to be determined. It will include a concise summary of survey results including graphic data. The data collected from the interviews will also be summarized, and the full interviews will be available in the appendix. It will be organized by participants who have decentralized water infrastructure and participants who have centralized water infrastructure. A bar graph will help present the differences between the different groups.Specific Questions The team has developed questions to ensure that Tangent will not be contacted for a sale as a result of our survey or interview. Key elements of the primary research include: Demographic information, including age, gender, education, location proximity of residence from downtown London), household size, household type (flat, single-family home, etc. ), if they reside in an urban or rural location, and type of household water supply/disposal (centralized or decentralized).Behavior-based questions focusing on typical water usage and buying habits (bottled water, water conserving appliances, water softeners). Questions to determine the level of the publics understanding of water recycling and its reception: â€Å"How do you feel about â€Å"What is your biggest concern regarding your household water? † Scaled questions to determine the publics concern of the actual water problems derived from secondary research â€Å"On a scale of 1-5, how concerned are you about the growing population in the UK with regards to the water supply? . The online survey consists of mainly closed-ended questions that are answered by multiple-choice or on a scale: â€Å"On a scale of 1-5 (1 being not concerned-5 being extremely concerned) how concerned are you about the droughts happening all over the U. K? † Other questions will determine if the consumer is a part of the target market: â€Å"Do you have a septic tank? Yes/No†, If they choose yes, it will lead to a implementers question. If no is chosen, another question will follow.More open- ended questions to gauge customer knowledge and attitudes about current issues and water recycling technologies will be used during face-to-face interviews. â€Å"Would you drink recyclable water, why or why not? † See appendices for complete list of questions. Primary Research Results! Talk about all our surveys, the questions, and answers. Analyze, perceptions Secondary Research Methodology The majority of the research conducted will consist of secondary research methods by gathering information from various credible sources to answer the specific questions outlined by the client.Most of this research will be conducted prior to the team's departure, this will ensure the team is educated on the topics upfront and will assist with developing and modifying specific questions conducted during the primary research in London. Some secondary research will be conducted while abroad, taking advantage of the opportunity to gather information from Loon's libraries that cannot be obtained elsewhere. It is expected that some level of secondary research will need to be done upon return back to the United States to tie up loose ends for the final report.Sources of Data The research databases provided by Cleveland State University library allows students free access to full text scholarly Journals, articles, trade magazines, newspapers, and other sources of credible information. The online research databases used include Water Resources Abstracts and an array of databases provided by Obscenest including Academic Search Co mplete, Environment Complete, Newspaper Source, and Science Direct. The web is also a good source to use to gather secondary research. There are many reliable sources of current information on all aspects of water in the I-J.Many are hosted by the water companies and water-governing bodies. Professor Adams recommends using www. Afoot. Gob. UK/ The Water Services Regulation Authority website, www. Water. Org. UK/ for a wealth of data on all aspects of water use, and www. Environment-agency. Gob. UK/ for its page on water demand management. And sewerage sectors in England and Wales, Water I-J represents all major UK water and wastewater service suppliers at national and European level, and Water Demand Management (WAD) considers national and international water resources, demand management and water conservation.We work closely with the Government, water companies, regulators, universities, academics and trade bodies on all national and international water demand management issues. Lo oking up different water companies in the U. K and finding statistics regarding water recycling helps determine the target audience. The website, â€Å"Wastewater Treatment and Recycling,† is a credible source from the U. K explaining the different treatments that are currently being used. It discusses the recycling of residual sludge and how it has an impact with their water supply. This information will help give the team insight with what the U.K is doing with this situation. So far, the U. K does not have any product on the market that can recycle water and is mainly focused on households while having the cleanest and safest water possible: eliminating all chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Information from this website also helps with our primary research and how we should organize our interviews, surveys, and potential focus groups. While in London, the team will also have access to the British Library and the City Business Library of London. These libraries contain informa tion that cannot be obtained anywhere else in the world.The secondary research performed here could provide vital information to give the client a competitive advantage. The team intends to spend at least one full day conducting research at these libraries. The team will also have access to the library at New Packinghouse University, which may also prove to be a useful source of information. Specific Questions Secondary research provided general information on the Auk's overall water usage and disposal infrastructure by answering questions such as: Where does the water supply come from? How is it delivered to the home? How old is the centralized infrastructure?How is wastewater collected, treated, and disposed of? How many households use decentralized water in the I-J, in the London area? What problems exist regarding water supply, quality, sustainable funding, and wastewater disposal? Who are the governing bodies and regulatory agencies that oversee the Auk's water? What is the typ ical household water use pattern in the I-J, and how does it compare with the US? What is the market for POE, POP, and POD technology? Secondary research Results! Here can insert quotes from the secondary research findings Conclusions and Recommendations , Summary of our resultsStrengths Secondary research objectives are easily obtainable through online databases and the web. The information is current. Ability to gather a large sample population for the online survey due to our Bucks student-partner and the team's established personal contacts in the I-J. The team has the opportunity to use the British Library and the City Business Library of London. Water problems are a big issue now both globally and in the I-J, so the timing for this project is excellent. The team has a strong understanding of the client's expectations for the final project.Willingness of members of the London Water Research Group to participate in our in- depth interviews and assist in providing contacts for th e online survey distribution. Limitations Amount of time for primary research in London is limited. The team will be located in an area with centralized water supply and will have to travel to find a significant sample of target audience. Primary research will only be conducted in the London area. Emailed surveys are easily ignored, forgotten, or deleted. The accuracy of responses of the online survey can be questionable due to the fact the artificial is not being monitored.