A Brief History
The Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established and registered in January 1999 as a “Trust” in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Zimbabwe to undertake, publish, and discuss public opinion research. The institute’s main objective is to gauge public opinion on topical issues of governance and public concern and make this known to policy makers, implementers, and the public itself. The Institute believes that public policy should be informed by public opinion. Further, whereas dictatorship thrives where a “culture of fear and disengagement” prevails, it is hoped that by constantly asking citizens to express their views on pertinent issues of concern this “culture of fear and disengagement” Will progressively decline and a critical mass of citizens emerge. Hitherto, public opinion has been elite driven, Public opinion has had no independent channel of expression, while the elite has also lacked independent sources of information about what the citizens feel on public policy and what that policy should be. The Institute seeks to provide the independent channel of communication between those in leadership positions and the citizens on public policy issues.
Our Mission, Vision & Values
Vision
The Institute is inspired by the vision that "good governance" prospers where policy makers are informed by public opinion and that a "culture of fear and disengagement" declines when citizens are constantly asked to express their views on issues of concern to them.
Objectives
The Institute has three overriding objectives that are related
- To promote and strengthen democratic governance through research, publishing and facilitating discussion of topical issues, thereby connecting policy makers with the citizens they serve.
- To facilitate the destruction of the “culture of fear and disengagement” by encouraging people to express their views and opinions on issues that are of concern to them.
- To become a self-supporting and permanent organization that promotes and encourages the institutionalisation of democracy in Zimbabwe.
Mission
The Institute's Mission is to offer policy makers, civil society organisations, embassies, strategic partners and the general public, non-partisan quantitative information on public opinion so as to promote the freedom of expression as means of enhancing the quality of democracy and good governance in Zimbabwe.
The hope is that public opinion surveys can be a permanent feature in the conduct of public affairs in Zimbabwe. Moreover, when people are encouraged to voice their opinions on issues that concern them, the prevailing "culture of fear and disengagement" will gradually fade away, and a feeling of "political efficacy" -a feeling that citizens can influence what the government does - will be part of an emergent participation political culture.
To achieve its objectives, the Institute
- Initiates research on issues it considers important and of interest to the public, government, non-government organizations (NGOs), and the private sector.
- Conducts commissioned research for members of parliament, councillors, government departments, political parties, non-governmental organizations (including churches and trade unions), foreign embassies, international organizations, and private sector firms, on specific issues that are of interest to them.
- Publishes, in public opinion bulletins/Journals, findings from public opinion polls and other researches.
- Facilitates research for scholars from local universities and colleges, as well as for scholars and organizations from abroad.
- Conducts seminars and training on research methods focusing on survey research methods.
In addition, the Institute is also engaged in efforts to:
- Establish an Endowment Fund for Public Opinion Survey Research in Zimbabwe
- Seek affiliation and association with other Public Opinion Organizations and polling agencies in the region and abroad.
Beneficiaries
The work of the instute is targeted at both the ordinary citizen and those in leadership positions across urban/rural, regional, gender, age, and race, ethnic, religious and educational divides. Thus, the Institute's beneficiaries deliberately range from men and women "at the top" (e.g. the State House and parliament) to men and women "at the bottom" ( e.g. in urban townships and communal lands). Organizations and individuals engaged at the leadership level are: political parties, parliament, cabinet, NGOs, civic groups, embassies, local and foreign scholars.
Board of Trustees
The Institute is headed by a non-salaried Board of Trustees, consisting of at least seven members drawn from various fields and backgrounds both within the public and private sector. The Board of Trustees advises and oversees the Institute's research initiatives as presented to it by the Executive Director of the Institute. The Board of Trustees elects a Chairperson, and specialized committees from among themselves. The Board Chairperson and the Executive Director of the Institute are the principal public relations officers of the Institute.