“Arab Perceptions of Women Leaders in Media, Civil and Political Avenues.” Arab Women's Leadership Institute (AWLI) – Jordan. 2014-On-going.
For this assignment, AWRAD distributed 6,000 questionnaires across three countries (Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Yemen). The aim of this project, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), was to provide an improved understanding of public perceptions towards women. The questionnaire contained both country-specific questions asking about women and country-specific media outlets, country-specific civil society organizations, and country-specific political parties and institutions. The questionnaire also asked a large set of unified questions to develop a regional understanding of public perceptions of women leaders and women leadership activity.
“Nationwide Surveys of the Egyptian and Tunisian Adult Populations.” University of Toronto. 2014-On-going.
AWRAD is currently engaged in a public opinion polling project across Egypt and Tunisia intended to explore and measure the social distribution and political significance of democratic attitudes and intolerance in the region and identify the main individual-level and contextual-level factors underlying the recent Arab revolutions and their aftermath. The poll targets 1,570 individuals in each country and is representative of all demographic factors. Questions measure socioeconomic demographics, participation in events surrounding the revolutions, attitudes towards different types of political rule and practices and change over time in personal security. Once the data has been collected and analyzed, analytical reports will be published in scholarly journals.
“Regional Focus Groups: Morocco.” International Republican Institute (IRI). 2015-Ongoing.
AWRAD was recently contracted to conduct 24 focus groups in Morocco focusing on citizen perceptions and priorities related to political, economic and everyday issues. AWRAD will be responsible for developing all survey guidelines and training facilitators and transcribers for the focus groups. The groups themselves will be conducted in a mixture of urban and rural locales across three districts and target a variety of different ages. At the close of the project, AWRAD will submit transcriptions of each focus group, along with a complete dataset of all results. Most importantly, AWRAD will submit a final report documenting the most significant findings for IRI’s evaluation and incorporation into future work.
“Women’s Participation in the Social, Economic and Political Context in the Arab World.” (Covering Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen ). Arab Women's Leadership Institute (AWLI). 2013-2014.
For this assignment AWRAD distributed 6,000 questionnaires and conducted eight focus groups across three countries in the Arab World: Libya, Tunisia and Yemen. The aim of this project, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), was to address prevailing social and political norms related to women’s involvement in a wide range of sectors. After completing fieldwork in all three Arab states, AWRAD’s office team developed three PowerPoint presentations and a 100-page report for AWLI. The report highlighted the critical findings on women’s involvement in the economic and political sectors, as well as social perceptions, attitudes and restrictions related to their involvement. Particularly significant to AWRAD’s proposal, the final analytical report and PowerPoint presentations were designed to help influence policy on women’s inclusion throughout the Arab World by providing data on priorities and programming needs.
“Family Law Poll.” Institute for Women’s Studies, Birzeit University. 2013.
AWRAD conducted a national public opinion poll measuring the use and perceptions of family (Sharia’) law courts in Palestine. Questions measured respondents’ perceptions of the court and the law, as well as marriage and divorce, inheritance, maintenance and legal reform. Roughly 4,000 male and female respondents were targeted across the West Bank and Gaza.
“Poll of Male and Female Youth.” Institute for Women’s Studies, Birzeit University. 2012-2013.
AWRAD conducted a specialized, national public opinion poll targeting Palestinian youth (males and females between 18 and 35 years of age). The survey was designed to explore the current status of lifestyles, access to culture, mobility, use of the Internet/media, gender issues and civil and political issues. AWRAD targeted roughly 4,000 youth across the West Bank and Gaza.
“Baseline Survey of Policy Reform and Fiscal Outcome Indicators in Relation to WTO Requirements.” Chemonics International. Investment Climate Improvement (ICI) project .2012-2013.
AWRAD conducted this baseline survey to assess current Palestinian attitudes towards the World Trade Organization (WTO), Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and the Palestinian tax system. For this survey, 750 Palestinians from the general public, 250 business owners and representatives and 150 academics were interviewed across the West Bank. For the public survey, adult Palestinians from all socioeconomic groups across the entirety of the West Bank were represented in the poll. For the business survey, small, medium and large businesses were included. The sample of academics included university professors and students majoring in relevant fields from all the West Bank universities. A specialized questionnaire was designed for each group with common questions to allow for comparisons.
“AWRAD’s Election Day Poll among Palestinian Voters during Palestinian Local Council Elections.” International Republican Institute (IRI). 2012.
In 2012, AWRAD conducted an Election Day poll among Palestinian voters on the 20th of October 2012, during the local Palestinian elections conducted in 93 West Bank communities. AWRAD interviewed 820 voters exiting 202 voting stations in 49 voting centers located in 19 communities in major cities (Jenin, Tulkarem, Nablus, Qalqilya, Jericho, Ramallah, Al Bireh, Bethlehem, Hebron and Yatta) and small towns and villages (Tubas, Qabatiya, Ateel, Salfit, Bedya, Aseera Shamaleya, Birzeit, Abu Dis and Beit Jala). The sample was selected through systematic random selection. AWRAD also convened a press conference to discuss the results of the poll, in which AWRAD explained the methodology, findings and implications for Palestinian politics and society. The results of the poll were published in local media and also in the New York Times.
“SAWT Roundtables and Advocacy Activities.” International Republican Institute (IRI). 2011-2013.
The SAWT program is dedicated to commissioning research and conducting public opinion polling and policy research to support democratic and developmental discourse among Palestinians. SAWT is an Arabic word (noun) that has two powerful and relevant meanings: “Voice” and “Vote.” In pursuit of these goals, AWRAD conducts public opinion polling and policy research to support democratic and developmental discourse among Palestinians. SAWT' the program' will be the voice of the Palestinian public in policy-making forums through conducting scientific national and district public opinion polling; organizing focus groups on issues of relevance to Palestinians; publish brief issue analysis papers and policy reports on pressing issues; organize roundtable meetings with decision makers; utilize the media to raise public awareness about needs of Palestinians. The two major topics SAWT has addressed are honor killings and political freedoms. Through conducting several public opinion polls, convening of roundtables and discussion groups and a concerted advocacy campaign utilizing the media and prominent Palestinian figures and institutions, SAWT’s efforts have contributed to the broader civil society advocacy and mobilization efforts around this issue. The clause of Palestinian law that provides exemption for murders committed in the name of honor has been abolished.
“External Evaluation of the Project: Support to Palestinian Democrats.” Creative Associates International. 2011.
The evaluation draws lessons and implications on the broader socio-political changes in the region and how they influence best practices in the field of development and democracy promotion. The evaluation adopted a participatory interactive approach using both qualitative and quantitative data gathering tools. The following issues were emphasized: organizational capacity building level and service delivery. The research process was conducted through survey questionnaires, distributed among direct and indirect beneficiaries of the implemented activities and focus groups targeting relevant activists, officials and other individuals. A final report was authored explaining the major findings.
“The Status of Palestinian Women Regarding Issues and Priorities: Findings of a National Survey and Focus Groups.” International Republican Institute (IRI). 2011.
In 2011, AWRAD conducted a national study on Palestinian women and gender relations. The research sought to explore the changing attitudes and values among Palestinians related to women’s participation in development and equality as a means of promoting democracy and development in Palestine. This was accomplished through a mixed-methods approach, including 3,000 quantitative survey questionnaires distributed equally among males and females on a national level, as well as eight focus groups across the West Bank and Gaza. Focus groups participants were specifically selected for their unique perspectives and many groups were comprised solely of women, women students, women activists and working women. At the close of the research, an analytical report was composed that presented and explained the data and offered conclusions for Palestinian society.
“Surveys among Palestinians in the 1948 Territory.” Zogby International. 2009.
For this project, AWRAD partnered with Zogby International to conduct a survey on media viewership and attitudes towards various political issues among Palestinians in the 1948 territory. AWRAD recruited and trained researchers and conducted the fieldwork. The survey targeted all demographics of Palestinian society (e.g., Muslim, Christian, Druze). A total of 600 face-to-face interviews were conducted.
“President Abbas Speech Survey.” International Republican Institute (IRI). 2009.
AWRAD conducted a poll among 300 Palestinians spread across the West Bank and Gaza designed to measure perceptions of President Abbas’ speech focusing on the formation of an interim government to prepare for national elections. In addition to focusing on current events, the poll also examined perceptions towards various political figures and preferred leadership of a united government.
“Final Evaluation of the EU Partnership for Peace (PfP) Programme.” European Commission, Gruppo Soges SpA. 2009.
AWRAD was contracted by the Gruppo Soges SpA to conduct the final evaluation of the EC-funded EU Partnership for Peace (PfP) Programme on the basis of an independent assessment of the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability and impact of the program. The evaluation was carried out on a sample of relevant projects implemented by Palestinian and Israeli civil society organizations in order to document lessons learned, particularly in relation to relevance and legitimacy, and to provide practical recommendations for the better design and implementation of future calls for proposals.
“Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza: A Survey on the Peace Process.” One Voice. 2009.
AWRAD teamed up with One Voice, a grassroots movement among Israelis and Palestinians that aims to empower youth leaders and political moderates to conduct a public opinion poll. The poll measured opinions towards the peace process and the priorities of both Palestinians and Israelis. The poll was conducted in 2009 among a sample consisting of 500 face-to-face interviews in Israel and 600 face-to-face interviews in Palestine. All samples were representative of both populations’ demographics.
“An Innovative Survey: Voter Canvassing.” International Republican Institute (IRI). 2009.
This was the first of its kind project in the Arab World, comprising 60,000 interviews in the various regions of the Nablus governorate and funded by the US-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). AWRAD utilized advanced methods and technology in data collection, data entry and processing, and involved 40 skilled field researchers with knowledge of the region. Researchers used maps and other population records to identify their target populations. This project served to perform 'citizen identification,’ an umbrella concept that covers assessment of living conditions, priorities, perceptions and demographics. Once completed successfully, citizen identification becomes the integral tool for developing questionnaires and measuring data and indicators on social, economic and political issues.
“Party Empowerment Initiative Morocco: Results of a Survey and Focus Groups.” International Republican Institute (IRI). 2008.
AWRAD was contracted to assist in the provision of data and analysis for the benefit of Moroccan political parties. Prior to this assignment, a needs assessment had concluded that these parties were underprepared in outreach and planning strategies that would be better informed by the collection of qualitative and quantitative data. The project adopted a three-phase approach. The first phase was immediate exploration of the needs of the parties, accomplished through meetings with leading figures. The second phase included meetings, workshops, focus groups and report writing. The third phase was defined by the distribution of surveys among party members to determine their needs, priorities and evaluations of party-related issues.
“Refugee Research Project” (Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan). The US-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), Williams & Associates. 2008.
To fulfil this project AWRAD has conducted field research in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan to assess the living conditions and needs of Palestinian refugees in these three states. The project’s data collection strategy was defined by survey research, in-depth interviews and focus groups. Over 3,000 refugees, inside and outside of refugee camps were interviewed in the three states. The central themes addressed throughout the assessment were living conditions, human relations, and political recommendations to address, and ideally resolve, outstanding issues. At the conclusion of the project, AWRAD issued a series of conclusions designed to guide the programming and focus of stakeholders.
“Results of an Opinion Poll: The Annapolis Conference, Evaluation of Institutions and Leaders.” Palestinian Peace Coalition (PPC). 2007.
AWRAD conducted an opinion poll among Palestinians measuring their perceptions and priorities related to the Annapolis Middle East Peace Conference convened in November, 2007. The poll targeted 3,200 Palestinians, 200 from each district across the West Bank and Gaza. In addition to measuring perceptions towards current events, the poll also measured general priorities and perceptions of the performance of leaders. After data was collected and analyzed a press release was authored to inform the public of the results.
“Compass: AWRAD’s Eye on Palestine; Data Trends.” AWRAD. 2015-On-going.
Compass is an initiative recently launched by AWRAD to provide tracking and analysis of survey data, trends and current events in Palestine and abroad. Compass is an effort to combine the data collected from AWRAD Polls with the analysis, perspective and academic background of AWRAD’s office experts and analysts. In effect, Compass focuses on the stories in the data that are not revealed on the surface, focusing on the deeper meaning of certain results, the circumstances that may have induced them and what these perceptions or responses could mean for future developments or initiatives. Examples of Compass topics include the peace process, empowerment of women and youth, prospects for Palestinian development and foreign relations.
“Palestinian Political Development and Democracy Promotion (Regular Surveys and Focus Groups)” International Republican Institute (IRI). 2007-On-going.
IRI and AWRAD are implementing a wide-scale project, funded by USAID through the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), in the West Bank and Gaza. The project relies primarily on quantitative and qualitative data gained through opinion polling and focus groups. It is designed to support the goal of obtaining more detailed voting data on partisan attitudes and provocative issues necessary for political professionals to understand the issues on “the street.” At the time of writing, 120,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have been polled throughout the project, and 400 focus groups and 600 in-depth interviews have been conducted. This project involves training and awareness raising activities for hundreds of leaders of various political groups, youth organization and civil society institutions.
“Media and Palestinian Public Opinion The West Bank and Gaza Strip: Media Surveys.” AWRAD, 2011-On-going.
On a quarterly basis AWRAD is producing reports derived from a quantitative survey conducted to measure media use as it relates to political preference in Palestine. Over the past three years, AWRAD has conducted 10 separate surveys, comprising 52,000 questionnaires, and reported on the major trends. Each survey is designed to be complementary to allow quick and easy comparison with earlier results, in order to determine the most visible, as well as detailed trends. Each report is complete with visual aids, including tables and graphs, to assist the reader’s comprehension. Significantly, each report includes significant conclusions on the state of media and political opinions to help guide policy formulation and programming awareness.