How Non To Introduce Survey Data- 2017 Un Global Staff Survey Edition

Last calendar week the UNOG Staff Coordinating Council shared the results of its 2017 Global Staff Satisfaction Survey 2017, “in which 4,000 of you lot took business office terminal week, representing 10 per centum of staff.”

As a social scientific discipline researcher I tin confirm that this is a real distressing instance study of “how non to acquaint survey results” in addition to clearly non worthy of the United Nations system, its staff in addition to the of import issues that are raised inward the report. Some of my concerns are precisely nigh the pitiable presentation of findings (in the feel that most advanced undergrad students of pretty much whatever bailiwick should know better), but at that spot are to a greater extent than concerning issues amongst the results that edge on unethical (social) scientific discipline enquiry practices.

First of all, sharing an unedited 200 page pdf-document that does neither listing the questions that were asked inward the survey nor includes basic demographic data, e.g. distribution of respondents along organizations, gender, age, country, usage score etc. makes it hard to assess the findings in addition to pose them into perspective.
The document contains a real brief outline of the methodology (p.6), but that all the same does non aid inward assessing how information was collected for 29 questions (probably also many based on my experience, particularly if questions had sub-questions).
As at that spot is no executive summary or whatever other interpretation of the results the reader is left amongst a lot of estimate work.

Pages 37-204 of the document consist of additional comments that were added equally gratis text. I bring non had fourth dimension to read all of them, permit lone procedure them inward whatever way, but that's non the indicate of this postal service anyway.
At the real to the lowest degree it is non best practise to precisely part an unedited concern human relationship of these responses, keeping inward hear that they correspond a real pocket-size fraction of the 4000 respondents.
Some of the comments are genuinely quite detailed, organization- or location-specific in addition to some may consider it unethical to pose out them-especially equally respondents may non bring been aware that their comments volition present upwardly verbatim inward a document on the Internet.

“The answers may confirm your impressions but volition to a greater extent than probable surprise you.”-nice Buzzfeed-style clickbaiting teaser-but at that spot are genuinely some major problems inward publishing un-analyzed data. Some of the comments make from full general themes along the lines of “the United Nations is sooooo bureaucratic” to real specific issues roughly workplace security inward surely buildings to outright criminal accusations (“our organisation is rife amongst corruption”) in addition to full general UN-bashing, for instance on page 37:

Cronyism has dice rampant inward DESA, amongst appointments at D2 in addition to D1 levels based on servility of supervisors, in addition to real picayune merit. The resulting mediocre leadership is hence incompetent, dearly lacking inward vision, effectiveness in addition to efficiency, is sometimes abusive, in addition to has destroyed the morale of staff across several divisions.

I fifty-fifty establish some names inward the comments-luckily to a greater extent than oft than non linked to positive feedback in addition to so the someone may non come across negative repercussions at her/his workplace.
Sufficient to say this is all pretty bad.

All inward all, I honor the presentation in addition to lack of analysis of the findings precisely un-worthy of the UN, its organizations in addition to staff members who tin clearly do a ameliorate project presenting the information in addition to starting a meaningful discussion.

This is the outset fourth dimension that such a survey has been carried out at the United Nations inward recent memory. As such, at that spot volition last room for improvement inward the questions in addition to methodology. lessons volition last learned in addition to much scrap volition last had.

Ok, that’s non plenty of a disclaimer, I’m afraid. The results are publicly available including to people or journalists who are non equally well-intentioned equally I mightiness be.
Without proper framing in addition to analysis this survey tin backfire equally a rumor-mill or to spread anti-UN sentiments in addition to I do non regard how this volition aid to create a meaningful dialogue-let lone changes for staff members inward hard organizational contexts.