Researching our standards

Andrea Rademeyer, managing director of research firm Ask Afrika says: "The progress achieved at the Research Leaders Summit held at the beginning of the year was fantastic for the whole industry and South Africa had input right from the start. It's a major boost for the industry, our clients and probably most importantly the attractiveness of the sector to young people as a career."

A prime outcome was its New Quality Norm for Market Opinion and Social Research which will provide the basis for an ISO application that could now be obtained by June 2006. It will standardise the requirements for organisations and professionals conducting market, opinion and social research worldwide.

In its efforts to promote professionalism within the staff of the industry, eight principles have been isolated as vital to achieving what the industry calls a "House of Quality", says Rademeyer.

These will establish market research personnel with high levels of integrity who can be monitored and adjudicated against a clear set of ethical expectations: "We believe this is a major step towards engendering a true professionalism in our staff and with it, a pride at being part of an ethical profession that holds its standards dear."

The Alliance for Research was set up to represent the interests of the worldwide market research industry and announced activities including support of member national associations regarding legal threats to alcohol and tobacco and external regulation of the industry.

Rademeyer says the other initiatives of the Alliance reflect some of the numerous challenges that confront the industry in the changing world environment: Dialogue with the data protection authorities at the EU Commission, the implementation of its directives on privacy in Electronic Communication; and a statement against the possible restriction of research on children.

About RELEAS (Research Leader Summit)

The summit in Geneva in January 2005 was the kick-off of a new round of meetings that started in 2001, after senior executives had concluded that the market research industry required revitalisation and would benefit from a new forum to represent its common interests at the global and regional level.
Since 2003, WIN (World Industry Network) summits now also include representatives of market research associations. In addition to achievements relating to legislation, the WIN process has made considerable progress in the field of quality standards, developing new ISO norms and liaison with international business schools to improve market research training.