To undertake user research on behalf of HM Land Registry
Introduction
My name is Jon Parker. I’m the user researcher for this project (Portal Refresh) and responsible for making sure your organisation knows what is going on, why we (HMLR) need you for this project, what your organisations rights are and how we are going to handle your organisations information.
Informed consent means that:
- The purpose of the research has to be clearly explained to a representative of this organisation
- The organisation has had the opportunity to make amends to any research plans and activities if required. You, the authorised signatory, fully understand what is going to happen.
- You, the authorised signatory, freely choose to allow your organisation to take part, without feeling pressured to.
Please take the time to read the following information carefully and let me know if anything that is not clear or if you would like me to explain something.
What is this Project about?
Understanding how our commercial real estate customers interact with HM Land Registry (Portal specifically) and some of the challenges, potential areas of success or friction with a view to improving the experience HMLR offers to its’ customers.
We are doing some research to learn more about HM Land Registry’s (HMLR) users so we can understand how we might make the process they are involved with more efficient and user friendly.
We’d like to involve you because of your involvement with the specific parts of the service we are focussed on. This research will help to improve the service by informing team decisions, prioritisation of new information and performance metrics.
A brief description of research methods
Research method 1: Unstructured observation, informal conversations otherwise referred to as ‘shadowing’, access to agreed areas; resulting in:
- Observations made
- Notes taken.
Research Method 2: Organised research to take place on site or remotely off-site within agreed parameters subject to individual consent resulting in:
- Audio
- Video
- Screen Shots
- Captured images
- Notes taken
What are your Rights & Obligations?
- You have the right to withdraw consent at any time either in full or in part. This means that all data collected from the organisation pertaining to the withdrawal will be removed from the research. This can be done before, during, or after the research. Contact jon.parker@landregistry.gov.uk to withdraw consent.
- You have agreed the parameters of what data we collect, how we collect it and how this is managed. What we can and can’t observe and who we can speak to.
- We will conduct ourselves in a professional manner and agree to not put staff in positions of discomfort
- The organisation has the right to refuse access to areas and information as it sees fit during the study period.
- You will be able to request access to the data we have recorded pertaining to your organisation at any time during or after the project. This remains in place until the data is fully anonymised or destroyed which can take a maximum of 2 years.
- Subject to you giving us consent for your organisation, we can store anonymised data and outputs from this research for reuse in the future within HMLR.
- Any information shared with us, unless otherwise stated, is not considered sensitive non-public information (but see point 2 ‘right to withdraw consent’).
- You have the right for your data to be held securely. We store your data without any identifying company information, client information or employee information. Your data is held securely by HMLR.
- You have the right to anonymity. When we write our report, we might use anonymised quotations from data collected but we will not share any details that identify your organisation or the individuals within it (like names or addresses) with any 3rd Contact information is accessible only to the researcher – data is stored away from any contact information.
- I understand that appropriate, full informed consent will be obtained from individual participants
If you have any questions or wish to change your consent, please contact the researcher by email jon.parker@landregistry.gov.uk
If you have any concerns or wish to make a complaint, please contact the Head of User Research at HM Land Registry @ zaffreen.akhtar@landregistry.gov.uk
Consent to Undertake User Research
The signatory below agrees to the following:
- I have permission to authorise consent for the outlined research on behalf of my organisation
- I am fully informed about the research and have had an opportunity discuss any part of it with the researcher.
- I agree to authorise the research as it is outlined in this form above.