Research company investigates govt’s claim of misrepresentation

Last Updated on Tuesday, 3 December 2024, 22:47 by Denis Chabrol

A Guyana-headquartered research company on Tuesday said it has launched a probe into government’s claims that a number of its field staff have indicated that they were conducting a public opinion survey with backing from the administration.

“In response to the claim that PDC’s (Project Development Consultancy) enumerators misrepresented the survey as government sanctioned, we have launched an internal investigation. Any mischaracterization of our independent research is unacceptable and contradicts our core values,” PDC said in a statement in response to government’s notice earlier Tuesday.

PDC said it employs 700 persons.

The Guyana government said it had nothing to do with the public opinion survey that was being held from November 30 to December 13, 2024, and urged the public to be cautious if they are visited or contacted by persons affiliated with that survey. “It has been brought to the government’s attention that the enumerators of thus survey are misrepresenting the nature of the activity and creating the false impression that this activity has some form of official endorsement,” government said.

For its part, PDC said the Guyana government’s notice about the survey has triggered reported “aggression against our team members” “Such conduct is unacceptable. We kindly ask the public to respectfully decline participation if they so choose, as our surveys are entirely voluntary,” the research body organisation said.

While PDC said it is a reputable, independent research firm with over 10 years of experience conducting market and social research across the Caribbean and internationally, the “Our Team” section of its website did not name anyone specifically. Instead, it has named the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill, Mona, and St. Augustine campuses), University of Greenwich (London), Edinburgh Business School (Scotland), ESOMAR (Global Market Research Association) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). A chamber official Tuesday night said PDC is a member of that business support organisation.

The only mention of a name seen so far is in a correspondence is that of Lead Fieldwork Specialist at PDC, Joshua Griffith. That correspondence said participation in the face-to-face interviews was not mandatory, and that the survey seeks to get the views of the public on various issues of national importance including perceptions on international relations, media consumption patterns, and domestic matters. “Participation is completely voluntary and all individual responses will be kept strictly confidential,” Mr Griffith states in his correspondence.

PDC said it had conducted projects for a diverse range of clients, including international organisations and several multinational corporations, and its studies have generated data that informs global indices and shaped policies benefiting Guyana and the Caribbean region. 

PDC said it respects the legal framework governing research activities and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations. That organisation said ots experienced team fully adheres to European Society for Opinion and Market Research (ESOMAR) & General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines, ensuring voluntary participation and respondent confidentiality in all our surveys.