The latest Afghan Futures survey finds the majority of Afghans in favor of reaching a settlement with the Taliban. Underlining this support for reconciliation is a growing sense among Afghans that the Taliban are becoming more moderate than when they previously ruled the country.

Wave 2 of Afghan Futures was conducted from January 24th to February 3rd in all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. Wave 3 of the survey is now underway and will examine any changes in attitudes after the recent burning of Korans at Bagram Air Base and the death of 17 Afghans in Kandahar province last month. Analysis of the data was prepared by Langer Research Associates of New York.

The Police Perception Survey, commissioned by the UNDP Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan, provides a detailed examination of public impressions of the Afghan National Police across a range of measures, including statistical modeling of the strongest predictors of public support for the police force and confidence in its abilities.   Please find the full report at:

http://www.undp.org.af/Publications/KeyDocuments/2011/PPS-Eng%20Version-2011%20Final%20Lowest%20Res.pdf

D3 will soon release the results of two D3-sponsored surveys conducted with Infinite Insight during October-November in Kenya and South Sudan. These surveys cover a wide variety of public opinion and media usage topics including, but not limited to, economic issues, foreign affairs, domestic politics, general media use, and social challenges.

For more information about Infinite Insight, please visit www.infiniteinsight.net

For more information about D3 Systems, Inc., please visit www.D3Systems.com

Contacts:  David A. Jodice, President; Matthew Warshaw, Vice President; Brian Kirchhoff, Senior Research Analyst

Phone:  703-388-2450

Emails:  David.Jodice@D3Systems.com /  Matthew.Warshaw@D3Systems.com / Brian.Kirchhoff@D3Systems.com

VIENNA, Virginia – December 7, 2011 -The 2011 IREX Audience Measurement Survey conducted by D3 Systems (D3) for IREX reveals that the people of Iraq are seeking greater transparency in the news and information they receiveand want access to information from a source that is not influenced or controlled by the government. This demand for openness is specifically directed at political and economic news, with a particular desire for transparent information related to local and national corruption in Iraq.

The fieldwork for the survey was conducted in May 2011 and is a follow up to IREX’s 2009 media survey which focused on understanding how news and information is consumed in Iraq. Television remains the primary source of news and information for people in Iraq, followed by Radio. Ninety percent of Iraqis report using TV to access news and information at least once a week while 37% report using Radio. Newspaper readership remains low in Iraq; 46% of the population does not read newspapers at all.

The Internet is primarily used for social purposes (i.e., email, Facebook, and instant messaging), but the Internet’s value as a news source is not to be underestimated, as four in ten Iraqis report using the Internet to access the latest news. For example, Iraq’s youth (age 15-24), who by most estimates make up at least a third of the population, use New Media sources significantly more than the general population. The 2011 Iraq Media Survey looks at this group and collectively describes them as the New Media Youth. They spend nearly twice as much time using the Internet for news than the general population – 18% of the general population spends more than 45 minutes a day using the Internet for news compared to 31% of the New Media Youth cohort.

Additional information from the survey about the Iraqi media environment was presented at a press conference held in Erbil, Iraq on November 17, 2011. The conference was attended by more than 60 Iraqi  media outlets. A copy of the presentation is available for download: http://www.irex.org/resource/iraq-2011-media-usage-survey

The 2011 IREX Audience Measurement Survey is a national quantitative study on media usage, habits and attitudes of people age 15 and older with a total sample size of 3,000 individuals. The sample included a random sample of 2,600 individuals in the 18 provinces of Iraq as well as a booster of 400 Iraqi youth using new media (3,000 persons total). The margin of error is +/- 1.79 percent at 95% confidence. Using the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) outcome calculator, the refusal rate for this study is 32%. Fieldwork was conducted from May 2-13, 2011 by trained, native Iraqi interviewers located in offices in Iraq managed by KA Research Limited. It is important to note that the “Arab Spring” was an active media event in Iraq that occurred during fieldwork and the death of Osama Bin Laden occurred same day the survey was launched.

IREX supports Iraqi media outlets, journalists, media managers, and free-press advocates in their efforts to build a sustainable and professional media system. For more information on IREX or its programs in Iraq: http://www.irex.org/region/Iraq

For more information about D3 Systems or KA Research Limited:

http://www.d3systems.com

http://www.ka.com.tr

ACSOR-Surveys has conducted the Asia Foundation’s annual Afghan survey since 2007. The survey, “Afghanistan in 2011: A Survey of the Afghan People”, provides insights into the opinions of Afghans and their perceptions of reconstruction, development, security and governance. The survey also examines Afghan public opinion towards the government and other institutions, the role of women and Islam in society, the economy, and a variety of other subjects.

The survey was conducted from July 2 to August 1, 2011 by 589 male and female ACSOR-Survey interviewers in all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces with a sample size of n=6,348.

“Afghan Women’s Perspective on Negotiating With the Taliban,” written and presented by Stephen Hornbeck, focused on analysis of whether Afghans show preference to negotiating or fighting with the Taliban and whether differences in opinion exist between different segments of the population.

“Exploring Women’s Status and Rights in Iraq,” written and presented by Kevin Tillmann, reported the shifts in attitudes and behaviors of Iraqi women regarding their personal desires, financial decision-making, and religiosity.  The two studies were conducted by D3 in March 2007 (n=1,093) and November 2010 (n=1,083).

D3 Systems also attended the 2011 ESOMAR Congress while in Amsterdam.  This year the ESOMAR Congress focused on the impact market research has had on business and society and how research must adapt and overcome challenging environments.  The 2011 ESOMAR Congress was held on September 18-21.

For more information, please visit www.D3Systems.com

Amanda Bajkowski, Senior Research Analyst

Ms. Bajkowski has more than seven years of quantitative and qualitative research experience, including high level congressional, gubernatorial, corporate and international projects. She comes to D3 from Public Opinion Strategies in Alexandria where she has worked on a variety of projects, including face-to-face interview team training in Iraq, and numerous CATI polling projects.  As a trained focus group moderator she also brings invaluable insight on qualitative research. Her work product has been presented directly across a spectrum of industries including international groups, committees of national parties, and elected officials at federal, state and local levels. Amanda is looking forward to the challenge of conducting research across a global range of D3 target markets.

Brian Kirchhoff, Senior Research Analyst

Mr. Kirchhoff brings six years of experience conducting public opinion surveys and media research both domestically and internationally, with Gallup, Inc.  He has spent extended periods of time in Baghdad, Iraq, handling research operations, logistics, and foreign personnel management. He also managed domestic consulting projects, survey research studies, and focus groups for a variety of clients, primarily in the government and defense arenas.  Brian finds work with global polling projects in challenging locations to be very rewarding, and is looking forward to collaborating on such projects with the D3 team. 

Benjamin Stevenson, Research Analyst

Mr. Stevenson recently completed a master’s degree in Middle East politics and an honors certificate in international business diplomacy at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. Ben worked for a number of government agencies and defense contractors in the Washington area (including the State Department) during his degree program, gaining experience in the fields of public diplomacy, international development and business strategy.  Ben first encountered the challenges and rewards of survey research in developing countries as an undergraduate studying abroad in Morocco in 2008.  Participating in a program on international migration, he conducted an independent study surveying potential migrants outside European consulates in Rabat.  At D3 Systems, Ben will provide increased insight into the complex challenges of the Middle East region and the developing world in general.

Timothy Van Blarcom, Junior Statistician

Mr. Van Blarcom recently graduated Cum Laude with Bachelor’s Degrees in both Statistics and Economics from the University of Maryland College Park.  While earning his degrees, Tim also worked for the Department of Transportation Services on campus where he collected and organized ridership data, as well as campus wide surveys about transportation services. He is excited to help D3 pursue its mission through providing statistical support to our teams, while learning first-hand about survey methodology and advanced sampling design.

For more information about D3 Systems, Inc., please visit www.d3systems.com

Contact:  Kristin Anderson

Phone:  703-388-2450

Email:  kristin.anderson@d3systems.com

“Afghan Women’s Perspective on Negotiating With the Taliban,” written and presented by Stephen Hornbeck, focused on analysis of whether Afghans show preference to negotiating or fighting with the Taliban and whether differences in opinion exist between different segments of the population.

“The Importance of Ethnicity in Afghan Public Opinion,” presented by John Richardson, explored the impact of ethnicity on public opinion in Afghanistan.  This study compared the explanatory power of ethnicity to other common demographics and its relation to geography in Afghanistan.

“Measuring Progress to Peace in Afghanistan; Applying the U.S. Institute of Peace and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Measurements of Progress in Conflict Environments (MPICE) Framework,” presented by Matthew Warshaw, provided an overview of a three-year endeavor in Afghanistan to test metrics and research methods to evaluate if progress is being made in ending conflict, increasing access to services, and making a transition to a lasting peace in Afghanistan.

“Exploring Women’s Status and Rights in Iraq,” written and presented by Kevin Tillmann, reported the shifts in attitudes and behaviors of Iraqi women regarding their personal desires, financial decision-making, and religiosity.  The two studies were conducted by D3 in March 2007 (n=1,093) and November 2010 (n=1,083).

“Overcoming Challenges to Sample Design in Iraq,” written and presented by David Peng, discussed D3′s implementation of satellite imagery to improve upon its sampling methodology in Iraq. With the lack of a recent census containing detailed information at the block level, grid-cell overlays of urban satellite images provide an innovative alternative solution for sampling the population.

“Public Opinion in Yemen,” presented by Gary Langer and Matthew Warshaw, provided an overview of the situation in Yemen based on survey data collected in a national survey in December 2010, sponsored by the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors.

For more information, please visit www.D3Systems.com

Published bi-monthly, Survey Practice is a leading survey research journal that contains practical information on survey methodology, environmental factors affecting survey research and features the work of noteworthy survey practitioners.

Perceptions of the Afghan National Police (ANP) are broadly positive overall and have improved across a range of metrics in the past year – albeit with substantial and varied challenges remaining.  Sharp regional differences remain, and positive views are related to police presence rather than deep popularity or confidence in performance.   The main problems perceived with the police include drug use, corruption and a lack of training and equipment.  The survey finds that there is also a lack of clarity as to what the ANP is supposed to do; fight insurgents or perform law enforcement and crime fighting duties.  The full report can be found at http://www.undp.org.af/Publications/

Measures of progress were a key feature in the design of this second set of measurements.  The first set of measures occurred in July 2009. The survey was sponsored by the Law and Order Trust Foundation for Afghanistan (LOFTA) which was established in May 2002 with the specific goal of directing aid money to support and develop Afghanistan’s national police force.  LOFTA seeks to ensure a more secure Afghanistan by providing training and capacity-building exercises to Afghanistan’s police forces.