SECURITY AND SAFETY IN HAITIWhat is the role and impact of perception surveys?

June 2012

Robert Muggah

WHO IS PROMOTING SECURITY?

Rule of Law (RoL) and security sector reform (SSR)

(1991-2004)

Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR)

(1994-1996 and 2004-2006)

Stabilizaton and community violence reduction (CVR)

(2007-2012)

WHO MEASURES IMPACTS?

• No reliable administrative data since 1990• Limited census or survey data since 1990• No valid monitoring and evaluation by UN• No comparative assessments by NGOs• A small selection of human rights,

victimization and nutritional surveys by foreign research institutes

• YET MUCH SPECULATION ABOUT VIOLENCE

SURVEYING SECURITY

• 2005 household survey (n: 1,260) cluster survey focused on Port-au-Prince

• 2009 household survey (n: 2,800) including 1,800 from Port-au-Prince and 1,000 national

• 2010 household survey (n: 2,947) including 1,800 from Port-au-Prince and 1,147 from IDP camps (25 randomly selected)

SURVEY METHODS

• Multi-cluster random sampling – GPS coordinate sampling and random number table (and ILO, USDA food sec, Pearsons QoL index)

• Haitian, Canadian and US team members deployed for several months at a time (University of Michigan, University of McMaster, Igarape Institute, SAS)

SURVEY THEMES

• Demographic and socio-economic profiles• Mortality and morbidity (verbal autopsy)• Victimization and insecurity• Mental health• Quality of life• Access to services• Attitudes toward service providers• Attitudes toward disarmament

HOMICIDAL VIOLENCE (per 100,000)

PHYSICAL ASSAULTS (per 100,000)

CRIME BEFORE/AFTER THE QUAKE (n - 2,947)

HOUSEHOLDS REPORTING PROPERTY CRIME (n – VARIOUS)

WHO WOULD YOU TURN TO IF ROBBED/THREATENED (n-2974)

WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SECURITY (n – 2,947)

LAST TIME YOU SAW THE POLICE (n – 2,947)

EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICE (n - 2,900)

CONFIDENCE IN POLICE (n – 2,900)

WHO IS COMMITING CRIME (n – VARIOUS)

RISK FACTORS FOR GANGS (1,042)

PROTECTION FACTORS FOR GANGS (1,042)

GANG MEMBERSHIP (18-29) P-AU-P

ACADEMIC IMPACTS

MEDIA IMPACTS

POLICY IMPACTS

REFLECTIONS• Critical role of timely and targeted evidence to shape

policy – pursue multiple outlets

• Investment in robust empirical methods and transparency in the methods

• Surveys are rapid/cost-effective but need to be supplemented – multi-prong approach

• Importance of well-trained local teams with deep contextual understanding

• Value of longitudinal and geo-tagged datasets to allow for measurement over time