Government teams frequently grapple with the complexities of compensating participants for user research. Challenges range from managing budget constraints and navigating ethical considerations to ensuring equitable access to research opportunities. The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) faced these challenges firsthand, especially during the pandemic. The public health emergency highlighted the need to develop a sustainable, in-house research model that included a process for user research compensation. 

To address this, the SDCI Customer Experience (CX) team—led by Jenna Stenson, Jared Bigelow, Jeffrey Chen, and Lisa Rutzick—developed an honoraria policy prioritizing equity, ethical financial practices, and operational sustainability. By collaborating with city stakeholders and leveraging the right user research operations and payment platform tools, they created a structured approach to participant compensation. The policy ultimately improved engagement and research quality, as seen in their first major project, the Pre-Submittal Conference Redesign. The SDCI CX team’s experience underscores how a well-implemented honoraria policy can strengthen public sector user research and ensure services reflect the needs of all residents.

Read the Spotlight on the Digital Government Hub.