2001 Highlights
- In 2001 Vitosha Research implemented 50 social,
economic, marketing, media and public opinion projects. This work
included quantitative and qualitative surveys: about 16,000 face-to-face interviews, 320 in depth interviews and
19 focus groups. The collected information was summarized in over
40 analytical reports and policy papers and 10 newspaper
publications.
- For the forth year Vitosha Research conducted a
Global Competitiveness Survey in cooperation with the Center for
Economic Development and the World Economic Forum at Davos. On the
basis of the survey results and officially published statistical
information Bulgaria was included in the official annual Global
Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum.
- In October 2001 Vitosha Research carried out the
second Eurobarometer Survey in a consortium with other agencies
from Central and Eastern Europe coordinated by Galiup Hungary.
- The initial results of the implementation of the
Regional Corruption Monitoring System of SELDI (Southeast European
Legal Development Initiative) were presented in March 2001. The
system provides information about the spread of corruption in the
region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia); it has become baseline resource
for national and international institutions and organizations.
- In 2001 Vitosha Research continued to
systematically expand its scope of activities to cover neighboring
and other countries. An important project in this respect became
the Human Security Survey conducted in the Caucasus region
(Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan). This survey is part of a
regional UNDP effort and is intended in 2002 to cover the region of
Central Asia too.
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I. Social and Economic
Research
The main subjects of the economic research projects
included the competi-tiveness of the Bulgarian economy, corporate
governance reform and company performance, conditions for financing
SMEs and NGOs in Bulgaria. In the course of the work on these
projects, most of which were commissioned by UNDP, the
International Center for Not- for-Profit Law and the Center for
Economic Development, Vitosha Research conducted about 500
face-to-faceinterviews, organized 2 focus groups and 23 in-depth
interviews with ministry and state agency officials,
representatives of financial institutions, SMEs, businesses and
journalists. It also participated in the preparation of three
sections of the monthly Early Warning Report for Bulgaria.
In addition, Vitosha Research carried out four social research
projects, commissioned by the World Bank, UNDP, Regional
Initiatives Fund, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy - the
fieldwork included about 5 400 face-to-face interviews and 120
in-depth interviews.
1. Global Competitiveness Survey
Since 1998 Vitosha Research has been conducting the
annual Global Competitiveness Survey in Bulgaria in
cooperation with the Center for Economic Development. The survey is
part of the efforts of the World Economic Forum at Davos to track
major changes in the world economy. The study was based on
interviews with managers of Bulgarian and foreign companies and
provides information on the business climate in the country and the
level of competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy. In 2000 Bulgaria
was included for the first time in the official annual report of
the World Economic Forum ,,Global Competitiveness Report 1999".
2. Early Warning System in Bulgaria
Work on this UNDP-coordinated project includes the
monthly publication of Early Warning Reports (EWR). The reports,
which have been published on a continuous basis since 1997 explore
the dynamics of the overall economic, social, political, religious
and ethnic environment in Bulgaria. In cooperation with analysts
from the Department of International Relations Association, BBSS
and Club Ekonomika 2000 CSD is responsible for four of the seven
sections of the report.
Over the last five years EWR has become a baseline resource on
socioeco-nomic and political development in Bulgaria. Tracking
socio-economic changes has made it possible to provide information
and early warning signals for possible adverse effects -
recommendations made in this respect have been taken into account
by policy makers. Thus, EWR has been able to fulfill its main
objective: to anticipate and respond to crisis situations before
they become too violent or before their effects get to the point of
no return. The Bulgarian EWR has become a model for launching
similar initiatives in the countries of Southeast Europe.
3. Influence of economic restructuring in
Bulgaria on the exports sector
This research project, commissioned by the Center of
Economic Development, was aimed at an analysis of the main
tendencies in companies' exports and their business environment.
Its focus was the relationship between ownership change, enterprise
privatization outcomes and the level, the structure and the
dynamics of the exports. The data obtained from company managers
made it possible to make conclusions about the effectiveness of
privatization strategies and their impact on export activities.
4. Non-profit organizations in Bulgaria
The survey on non-profit organizations in Bulgaria,
financed by the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law, was
carried out by Vitosha Research in cooperation with the Resource
Center Foundation. The data on the activities of the non-profit
organizations in Bulgaria helped come up with policy
recommendations for the improvement of the tax environment of the
NGO sector.
5. Human Security in the Countries of the Caucasus - Armenia,
Azerbaijan, and Georgia
Through this project Vitosha Research extended its activity to
include the Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Several analytical
research methods were used to assess the basic elements of human
security (economic security, food security, health security,
environmental security, personal and public, and political
security) in these threecountries. The project included a
qualitative and a quantitative survey in each country.
Research results showed that most of the problems of
human security are present in all countries. The citizens generally
miss the not too distant socialist past, which they associate with
far greater political security, peace and order in general, and on
a personal level, with greater financial and emotional well-being.
In all three republics of the Caucasus nearly half of those
surveyed consider the years of the 1980s as the best period in the
overall development of their countries in the 20th century.
In spite of the different extent to which the
respondents from these three countries feel personally threatened,
unorganized crime seems to be the greatest threat to personal
safety - greater than organized crime; people are most afraid of
aggression by hooligans and thieves. The most important social
problems in all countries are ranked similarly. The list is topped
by unemployment followed by poverty, low incomes, and corruption.
These problems are typical for all societies in the process of
building up new social structure. At the same time, each of these
problems has a strong impact in the assessments of living standards
revealing the specific dimensions of popular dissatisfaction.
6. Sociological and Beneficiary Assessment of
Potential Low-Income Housing Micro-Projects
The main goal of this project, commissioned by the
World Bank, was to identify and analyze housing conditions of
people (mainly Roma) from socially dis-advantaged groups living in
segregated neighborhoods with poor access to basic utilities, as
well as to make a social assessment of potential housing programs
targeting the Roma population. A combination of qualitative and
quantitative methods was used for the implementation of this
project.
A qualitative survey (in-depth interviews) was also
conducted - it involved representatives of the local authorities,
local Roma non-governmental organizations, social workers, and
local Roma leaders was conducted. The analysis confirmed the
preliminary hypothesis that most of the dwellings inhabited by Roma
are in bad condition. Information on the relative share of the
different types of Roma dwellings for the 11 neighbourhoods was
collected through neighbourhood observation and observation of
respondents' homes.
One quarter of the respondents live in one-room
flats while the majority lives in two-room flats. Over half of the
respondents live in houses of up to 30 sq. m., the average floor
area of the respondents' homes being 36 sq. m. An important factor
for the efficiency of the housing improvement programs in the Roma
neighborhoods is the prompt reaction to the problems related to the
ownership of the land on which the Roma neighborhoods are built and
the planning and zoning maps of the neighborhoods. In the Roma
neighborhoods there is a high rate of illegal construction which
takes place indiscriminately on state-owned or municipal property
as well as on land subject to restitution;
in isolated cases it happens on personally-owned land. Except for
the capital, all too often Roma neighborhoods are located outside
residential zoning districts, in agricultural areas, forests, or
zones under a special regime.
7. Beneficiary Assessment of the Results of the
Micro-Projects Implemented by the Regional Initiatives Fund
The goal of this survey was to analyze the
beneficiaries' evaluations of the outcomes of the micro-projects
implemented by the Regional Initiatives Fund (RIF) through a
combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The main
target groups of respondents in the quantitative survey were local
community members who should benefit from the project. Qualitative
methods were also used to obtain information from other sources -
local authorities, specific groups of direct beneficiaries, RIF
staff and reporters from local media.
On the basis of the assessment a general conclusion
was made that RIF micro-projects have been well accepted by
citizens in the respective municipalities. Microproject
implementation has created additional employment, but so far it
hasn't made a substantial difference in this respect because of the
relatively small size and short project duration.
8. Establishing a Model Municipality in
Razlog
Vitosha Research conducted a base-line survey in the
Razlog municipality which was part of a project entitled
Establishing a Model Municipality in Razlog financed by UNDP.
Information was collected using a combination of qualitative and
quantitative methods focusing on the residents of Razlog and also
on representatives of the municipal and district administration,
businesspeople, journalists and representatives of non-profit
organizations. On the basis of this survey several conclusions were
made:
1. The most important problem faced by the population of Razlog is
unemployment. Next by importance come the low standards of living
of a large part of the residents of the municipality.
2. The general expectations of the people employed in the Razlog
municipality on the future prospects of the companies or
organizations they work for are largely optimistic. Over two thirds
of those interviewed believed their companies would either grow or
maintain their present position on the market.
3. The three fundamental priorities for the development of the
Razlog municipality according to its residents largely match the
points of view of the five target groups surveyed:
stimulating private business, implementing social programs on the
unemployed and socially disadvan-taged people and growth of the
town of Razlog as an administrative center.
II. Corruption surveys
1. Corruption Monitoring system of Coalition
2000
Vitosha Research has been extensively involved in conducting the
surveys of the Corruption Monitoring System (CMS) of Coalition
2000. This CMS includes a comprehensive set of qualitative and
quantitative techniques for different target groups (general
public, businesspeople, public officials, professionals, etc.). In
2001 two quantitative surveys were conducted.
The CMS results have been summarized in the Corruption Indexes of
Coalition 2000 which have been published twice in 2001. The trends
observed in 2001 show that public intolerance towards corrupt
practices at all levels of authority is growing although not as
fast as one would like. Simultaneously the spread of corruption and
the reported actual involvement in corrupt practices seem to be
stable. This situation has generated a lot of criticism, especially
in the course of the Parliamentary and Presidential election
campaign when corruption was one of the major issues discussed.
The most notable change in corruption-related
attitudes is an increase of optimism. The values of the "corruption
expectations" index were fairly stable over the period June 1998 -
January 2001;
in October 2001, however, a notable positive change was observed
associated with the hope of Bulgarians that the new government will
make a difference in curbing corruption.
2. Regional Corruption Monitoring System
The Southeast European Legal Development Initiative
(SELDI) was launched in late 1998 as an effort of leading
not-for-profit organizations toward establishing public-private
partnership for legal development in the transition countries of
Southeast Europe. A network of organizations was created within
SELDI to monitor the level and scope of corruption in the region on
the basis of the Coalition 2000 monitoring methodology.
Special surveys were conducted in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia; in year 2001
the project partners produced a Corruption Monitoring Report for
the region.
The main goal of this project in the seven countries
of the region is to explore the public attitudes and victimization
levels related to corruption. The surveys showed that corruption is
a
serious problem for all SEE countries: it stands high on the
agenda of public priorities; victimization levels are relatively
high and the public perceives corrupt practices as endemic to the
work of the government administration.
The index of the "spread of corruption" is based on
general public assessments of the level of involvement of public
sector employees in corrupt practices. Although certain differences
between the countries involved exist, the values of the index are
fairly high for all countries in general. To the greatest extent
this applies to Romania; a little less to Albania, Serbia,
Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although a little lower, the
values registered in Macedonia, Croatia, Montenegro also confirm
this observation.
III. IT Projects
IT penetration and information society development
in Bulgaria have gradually evolved as priority areas for Vitosha
Research. In this respect the projects conducted for the World
Bank, BMRB International and the Ministry of Transport and
Communications have made it possible to collect valuable baseline
data and produce initial analyses of the status of the IT sector in
Bulgaria.
1. Assessment of the Development of Information
Technology in Bulgaria
The main goal of this project was to assess the
current state of the infrastructure and services in the field of
information technology in Bulgaria. A specific assessment model was
developed for the project to interpret the "e-readiness" - not only
by the extent to which Bulgarian society and its economy are ready
to benefit from information technology and electronic commerce, but
also by identification of the current level of ICT usage and the
governmental policies and initiatives for stimulating this sector.
The model focuses on basic infrastructure for ICT growth and on the
capacity of the society in general to benefit from a wider
diffusion of this technology. This is a comprehensive research tool
as it combines "e-economy" metrics with "e-society" indicators.
The model uses a combination of quantitative and
qualitative measurement instruments:
1. National sample survey of the population aged 18 and over;
2. Qualitative study and statistical analysis;
3. Focus group discussions with end users (of Internet services),
representatives of computer companies. Internet providers, NGOs and
public institutions working on ICT- related projects;
4. Desk research.
The main conclusions from the project are that ICT is developing
at a relatively high pace (given the status of the Bulgarian
economy as a whole). This development, however, is facing a lot of
hurdles because of the contending interests of the main
stakeholders. State institutions have started responding to the
emerging challenges and serious government investment is under
consideration now.
2. Analysis and Development of the Technologies
and Services of the Information Society in Bulgaria in the Period
2000 - 2001
For a second time Vitosha Research conducted in 2001
a survey on the development of the information society in Bulgaria,
financed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The goal
of this project was to collect, process and analyze information
about the current state and trends in information society
technologies and services in Bulgaria for the period 2000 -
2001.
The results of the surveys can be summarized as
follows:
1. The total number of people those using the resources of the
Internet is still quite small. The share of those using the
Internet barely reaches 10.4% of the population. Nevertheless, if
the present tendency continues this number should increase
substantially over the next a few years;
2. The Internet is typically used at the office and at specialized
venues. Home Internet users and those accessing the Web at
educational establishments are much fewer;
3. Internet use is a priority mainly among young people. Half of
those having access to a computer and the Internet are aged between
18 and 30;
4. The large part of the people having access to the Web are
concentrated in large cities;
5. The total number of websites of public institutions and
organizations shows a remarkable growth. The virtual presence of
educational establishments is expanding most rapidly to keep up
with the world trends in providing up-to-date online
information;
3. Internet Services in Bulgaria
IT development is being tracked on a regular basis through
quarterly VR omnibus surveys. The main objective of IT monitoring
is to track the evolution of the information society in the country
and to accumulate information about existing trends. The basic
subject areas included in the quarterly monitoring are the
following: access to computers; access to the Internet; development
of Internet services in Bulgaria; use of mobile phones; use of
e-mail, chat and etc.
It has been made possible to reach the following
conclusions:
1. At present regular Internet users in Bulgaria have at their
disposal a wide array of resources available through the worldwide
web, including access to all national media as well as a number of
local media offering reviews and analyses online;
2. As a whole, there seems to be a relatively high level of user
satisfaction in terms of how prices relate to certain minimum
requirements for quality services. Yet, the share of those who are
disappointed with the quality/ price correlation is also
considerable;
3. The daily use of the Internet essentially includes visits to
Bulgarian portals/search engines as well as entertainment
sites;
4. The Internet is typically used as a means of gathering
information for personal or professional use /everyday work or
leisure;
5. Bulgarians still do not seem to take advantage of the advanced
uses of the Internet such as electronic banking, personal activity
planning and organization, etc.
IV. Public Opinion, Media and Market
Research
Ten public opinion research projects were
implemented in year 2001. The basic topics included in this
research were: public opinion about politics and the economy; NATO
and the European Union; attitudes toward US policy against
terrorism, the sustainable development initiatives in Bulgaria; the
health reform in Bulgaria, etc. The projects were commissioned by
the Office of Research, US Department of State; Galiup Hungary, the
Capacity 21 Program, the Democracy Network Program, the National
Health Insurance Fund, Barents Group of KPMG Consulting, and the
International Institute for Democracv and Electoral Assistance.
1. Eurobarometer
Vitosha Research is part of a consortium of research
institutions from Central and Eastern Europe which has been
conducting the Eurobarometer survey since January 2000. The project
is carried out in thirteen countries applying for EU membership.
The main objective of the October 2001 survey was to collect
information about public expectations on the living standards, the
general attitudes towards the EU as well as to study the public
opinion and the assessments of the process of European integration
of Bulgaria.
On average, nearly 6 in 10 people (59%) in the
accession countries feel that EU membership would be a 'good thing'
for their country with support for EU enlargement ranging from 33%
in Estonia and Latvia to 80% in Romania. Support levels tend to be
significantly higher in the accession countries than they are in
the EU where the average support level is 49%.
2. Southeast Europe and Stability Pact: New Means
of Regional Analysis
This survey was part of the international project
"Southeast Europe and Stability Pact: New Means of Regional
Analysis" conducted in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Rumania and Serbia. The
project is coordinated by the International Institute for Democracy
and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). The survey includes two main
components: quantitative and qualitative monitoring of the public
agenda as perceived by representatives of different groups. Data on
the following issues was obtained:
- Progress of the national and international dialogue
on the perspectives for the democratic development of the
region;
- Role of the local elite representatives in the
process of political decision making;
- Citizens' and elite representatives" views on the
main problems of the country and the priorities in the work toward
solving them;
- Progress of the democratization in each
country.
3. Assessment of Sustainable Development in
Bulgaria
The main objective of this assignment was to conduct
a comprehensive in-depth analysis of the country's progress toward
sustainable development in the context of the Rio+10 process. The
methodology includes quantitative and qualitative surveys aimed at
assessing the stakeholders' opinion on the impact of sustainable
development initiatives.
The basic target groups of respondents for the
qualitative survey were representatives of the government
(national, regional and local), NGOs and private business. The
research component of the project included a review of the content
and a summary of the findings of the existing recent information
sources -publications, research reports and surveys. Desk research
on specific laws, policies, strategies, programs and plans
concerning sustainable development issues was also carried out.
4. Promoting Philanthropy in Bulgaria: Strategic
and Sustainable Partnership with NGOs
This research project was commissioned by the
Democracy Network Program and its initial objective was to identify
and analyze the successful patterns and mechanisms in philanthropy
for the benefit of Bulgarian non-government organizations. The
survey included 15 typical cases studies from Bulgaria and showed
that philanthropic activities since 1997-1998 have decreased. Both
the number of donations and the amounts donated have grown
lower.
The following reasons for this situation were
identified:
1. The existing regulation of philanthropic activities which does
not provide adequate financial incentives for donors;
2. There is an evident shortage of philanthropic culture in the
country;
3. The NGO sector both lacks sufficient absorption capacity and
the potential to apply adequate fund raising techniques.
5. Assessment of the Health Reform in
Bulgaria
This project was financed by the National Health
Insurance Fund and its main objective of the survey was to explore
the opinion of the population on the newly introduced
health-insurance system in Bulgaria and formulate policy
recommendations. The project included a national representative
survey of the adult population in Bulgaria and an analysis of the
current situation in the healthcare system in Bulgaria at the level
of popular attitudes, normative assessments and practical
experience of the Bulgarian citizens; "the breaking points" between
doctors and patients were identified as well as the possibilities
for settlement of existing latent conflicts.
6. Perceptions, Inclinations and Expectations
Concerning the Health Insurance System and the Voluntary Health
Insurance Funds in Bulgaria
Barents Group of KPMG Consulting asked Vitosha
Research to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the health
insurance system in Bulgaria and to evaluate the structure of
social attitudes and the expectations from voluntary health
insurance.
Data on following issues was collected:
1. Individual attitudes toward the health insurance system in
Bulgaria;
2. Degree of match of the attitudes towards the health insurance
system in Bulgaria and the existing practices;
identification of the major problems in the mechanisms and
practices within the existing system;
3. Needs and expectations regarding the health insurance
system;
4. General attitude toward the idea of voluntary health
insurance;
5. Attitudes toward the various schemes of voluntary health
insurance and their prospects as well as evaluation of the
different packages of services;
6. Conditions determining the likelihood of purchasing voluntary
health insurance and circumstances which could provoke a negative
attitude;
7. Motives and preferences in the choice of specific voluntary
health insurance funds.
In 2001 media research focused on evaluation of
foreign radio station programming. A total of 1 quantitative, 2
radio monitoring projects and 5 assessments of radio advertisements
were conducted though face-to-face interviews and desk research.
These projects were commissioned by the InterMedia Survey Institute
and the Applied Research and Communication Fund.
The main objectives of the media surveys were to
throw light on the following issues:
1. Assessment and trust in the mass media by the Bulgarian
public;
2. Opinions and attitudes about international and domestic TV and
radio channels;
3. Role, image and relevance of international and domestic radio
broadcasters in Bulgaria;
4. Opinions and attitudes of Bulgarian listeners towards the
programs of the RFE, DW, BBC and VOA.
Vitosha Research also conducted 11 quantitative market surveys in
2001. The main topics of the research were:
- Drug advertising;
- Drug market;
- Alcoholic drink consumption and brand
tracking;
- Consumption of cappuccino;
- Use of detergents;
- Use and attitudes towards the consumption of goods
at OMV petrol-stations;
- Assessment of advertising design.
V. Publications
Research findings have been widely disseminated in the press. More
than 10 articles were published in newspapers with national
circulation; about 40 analytical reports and policy papers were
prepared by Vitosha Research experts. Here is a list of the most
important of these reports:
1) Community-Based Philanthropy in Bulgaria:
Assessment and Pilot Program Design, January 2001.
2) Problems of the Health Reform in Bulgaria, March 2001.
3) Corruption Indexes, Regional Corruption Monitoring in Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, and
Yugoslavia, March 2001.
4) Assessment of the Social and Economic Development of Razlog
Municipality - Present State, Problems and Prospects, May 2001.
5) Conditions for Financing Small and Medium-Size Enterprises in
Bulgaria, May 2001.
6) Non-Profit Organizations in Bulgaria, June 2001.
7) Sociological and Beneficiary Assessment of Potential Low-Income
Housing Micro-Projects, June 2001.
8) Human Security in the Countries of the Caucasus: Armenia,
Azerbaijan, and Georgia. A Comparative Study,
August 2001.
9) Basic Concepts On the Impact of Restructuring of the Economy
upon the Export Activities of Bulgarian companies, July 2001.
10) Perceptions, Inclinations and Expectations Concerning the
Health Insurance System and Voluntary Health Insurance Funds in
Bulgaria, September 2001.
11) Beneficiary Assessment of the Results of Microprojects
Implemented by the Regional Initiatives Fund, September 2001.
12) Corruption Indexes of Coalition 2000, November
2001.
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