ORB International first started working in Iraq in 2004 and has since completed over 78,000 face to face interviews, 220 focus groups and 150 in-depth interviews.
 
Our ongoing work in Iraq employs a field force of local researchers, project managers and qualitative moderators who conduct monthly surveys and focus group discussions across the whole of Iraq. Clients have included HMG, USG, multilateral organisations (such as UNMAS and UNICEF), media organisations (BBC Action Media) and communications agencies. 

Our work includes a wide range of thematic areas including: Governance and Democracy; Violent Extremism; Media; and Basic Services. Through continual investment in capacity building with our local partners and an unwavering commitment to quality, we have become one of the leading providers of research in the region. 

Approach

Longstanding trusted local partnerships

We have developed long-term partnerships with local partners with a proven history of delivering high-quality data. 

Innovative sampling capturing current population trends

We have developed solutions to accurately sample in a region in which rapid population change and migration means census data quickly becomes outdated. 

Rigorous data quality control procedures

We combine traditional and innovative quality control procedures including GPS tagging and remote listening to identify errors and fraud in real time to deliver the highest quality data. 

Extensive Iraq research experience

Our team has 56+ years of combined experience conducting research in Iraq.

Project Highlights

Syria and Iraq Monthly Tracking Research, 2017-Present

Monthly polling of 900 residents in both Iraq and Syria with two focus groups. Topics include security, local service provision, violent extremism, community cohesion and media consumption.  

UNICEF MENA Public Perceptions Survey, 2018-19

Quantitative study of public opinion across 17 MENA countries (10,200 interviews). Topics covered: views of UNICEF and other humanitarian organisations, awareness of organisations, key challenges facing children in each country.

Threat Network 2019 (Malign Influence)

6000 surveys, 9 focus groups, and 900 flash surveys in Yemen, Syria and Iraq to provide multi-media content assessments based on customer requirements, desired effects, and objectives to degrade and deter the malign influence of Iranian military/ Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and proxies in Syria and Iraq.

Iraq Shia Population Surveys 2019 

1200 surveys and 12 focus groups among the Iraq Shia population to identify popular sentiment, behavior, and key influencer nodes in and around Baghdad and the southern provinces who comprise the intended target audience.

Information Environment Assessments: Iraq and Syria 2020

7000 surveys, 24 focus groups, 1800 flash surveys and 40 in-depth interviews in Iraq and Syria to provide a comprehensive evaluation of opinions, attitudes, psychometrics, and media usage including a baseline and quarterly evaluation thereafter for trends over time. Our assessments include measures of performance and effectiveness and digital content, including rapid testing of media to evaluate resonance, sentiment, and access within Iraq and Syria’s current information environment.

About ORB
ORB International is a small business operating in 115 countries around the world providing monitoring and evaluation, nationally representative surveys, rapid assessments and specialised research in complex environments. Utilising a data-centric and quality-first model, our primary focus is mixed-methods social and political research including the topics of counter-violent-extremism, governance, and working with vulnerable populations.

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