NPA, Alm.del - 2013-14 - Bilag 5: Undersøgelse af NATO PA udført i 2014

NATO's Parlamentariske Forsamling 2013-14
NPA Alm.del Bilag 5
Offentligt

Market Research InstituteNovember 2013

Quantitativeresearch amongmembers of theNPA at theGeneral Assemblyin Dubrovnik11-14 October 2013Final Report

PricewaterhouseCoopers, Société coopérative, 400 Route d’Esch, B.P. 1443, L-1014 LuxembourgT : +352 494848 1, F : +352 494848 2900, www.pwc.luCabinet de révision agréé. Expert-comptable (autorisation gouvernementale n�10028256)R.C.S. Luxembourg B 65 477 - TVA LU25482518

ContentsExecutive Summary ........................................................... 1Main Findings ...................................................................3NATO’s Reputation ....................................................................................................... 3Communication............................................................................................................. 7NATO Post 2014...........................................................................................................15The Parliamentary Assembly.......................................................................................17

Conclusions & Recommendations.................................... 19Appendix I .......................................................................20Appendix II...................................................................... 25

Executive SummaryNATO has commissioned PwC to carry out a qualitative assessment that evaluatesthe perceptions of parliamentarians who attended the Annual Session of the NATOParliamentary Assembly (NPA) held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, 11-14 October 2013. Inparticular, NATO aims to ascertain the following:NATO’sreputationamong delegates and the general public;Theeffectiveness of NATO’s communicationwith delegates and the generalpublic;Parliamentarians’ views regarding thepurpose of NATO post 2014,includingdefense spending;The perception delegates have about theNPA in Dubrovnik.For this study, PwC gathered the views of 29 parliamentarians via face-to-faceinterviews and 50 parliamentarians via a paper questionnaire distributed during theNPA session in Dubrovnik. These interviews, combined, represent the answers of30.9% of the parliamentarians who attended the session.

Reputation

Articulate a Clear MissionThe majority of parliamentarians from member countries have a highly favorableperception of NATO, but they believe citizens in their countries are more mitigated.To improve the status quo, parliamentarians overwhelmingly suggest the use ofmedia. Specifically, the media should be used to articulate the organization’s missionand objectives, to highlight its achievements and inform the public about the benefitsit offers. “NATO needs to project a clearer mission,” said one delegate.“Afterthe fallof the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, NATO must focus on more thanjustifying its existence.”

“Perception of NATO islinked to the Cold War.A transformation isneeded.”

Communication

Raise AwarenessMember parliamentarians said the majority of people in their countries have heardof NATO, but only a minority understands what NATO does. Those from non-member countries said few people are acquainted with NATO. To enhance publicawareness, the vast majority of both groups believes NATO should invest more incommunication, specifically through the use of media, educational programs, youthoutreach, social media and local ambassadors.

“NATO should usenew communicationtechnologies, the moreadvanced the better.”

Purpose

Define PrioritiesWith regard to the effect of the end of the International Security Assistance Force(ISAF) operation will have on the organization, most member country delegatesagree that “NATO needs this break to rest and recuperate.” As one delegate said,“exits are as important as entries.”However, although ending the ISAF operation is considered a positive change forNATO, member parliamentarians believe combating terrorism should be the mainpriority for the Alliance in the future. Cyber security (in conjunction with military1

“We cannot leaveAfghanistan in oneday—it should be atransition. We need tohelp the country after2014.”

operations) is also perceived as a key strategic priority for NATO in the coming years.Additionally, all non-member parliamentarians interviewed feel NATO shouldmaintain a presence in Afghanistan. “They should organize some permanentcooperation to help local authorities,” said one delegate, who pointed out thecountry’s poverty and lack of structure. “It would not be good to just leave.”

NPAThe majority ofparliamentarianssaid they willintegrate the contentof what they learnedat the PA into theirwork.

Integration of the AssemblyThe majority of parliamentarians, both from member and non-member countriessaid that they will integrate the content of what they learned at the DubrovnikParliamentary Assembly into their work when they returned home. About half saidthey always do this, and the other half said they sometimes do so. Very few rarelyapply the information gathered at the assembly to their work.Overall, the majority of parliamentarians werevery satisfiedwith the NPA inDubrovnik. Additionally, there is a complete consensus on satisfaction regarding thetimeframe of the closing session, the panels and the reports discussion. All weredeemed to have beenjust right.The majority of parliamentarians said that they willintegrate the content of the NPA into their work when they return to their countries.

ConclusionsOverall, parliamentarians have a very high view of NATO. That said, they seem to beconvinced that the citizens in their countries do not share that perspective becausetheydo not know enough about the Allianceto appreciate its value. To reachbroader demographics, NATO should use an array of media ranging from radio tothe internet to press releases and television. Also, establishing representatives inindividual countries would give an authenticity and immediacy to NATOcommunication and would bring the organization into closer proximity with “realpeople.”Although the year 2014 will bring the end of the ISAF operation, parliamentarians donot see this as a revolutionary change. In retrospect, people view NATO’sinvolvement in Afghanistan as a positive experience that has borne fruit. In light ofthis, the post 2014 period should be seen as anopportunity to reflecton the pastdecade and consider what capabilities acquired in Afghanistan can be deployed infuture missions. That said, NATO continues to be vital to ensuring thecollectivedefense. Terrorism, cyber terrorismandfuture conflicts(e.g. Syria) shouldremain high on the agenda.

Main FindingsNATO’s ReputationNATO as a Peace-Keeping EntityMember Countries: NATO fulfils its duty to maintain peace,to a large extent.Just over half of the parliamentarians from member countries think that NATOtotallyfulfils its duty to maintain peace, and another 40% said itsomewhatfulfils itsduty. Only one parliamentarian thinks that NATO is not at all useful.Most parliamentarians declared that citizens of their country share their opinions. Ina minority of cases, parliamentarians consider the citizens of their country to bemore critical than they are (Belgium, Germany and Spain, for instance).Those who answered that NATOtotallyfulfils its duty to maintain peace describedNATO as “a very powerful organization” and “a strong union among like-mindedpeople that has the capabilities and capacity of engagement to keep the peace.” Theyalso feel the organization is useful in the prevention of conflicts.However, regardless of these opinions, all participants offered recommendations onhow NATO could do a better job of maintaining peace. Among their suggestions, aseries of common suggestions emerged:Communication towards citizens should be improved in a way that convincespeople of NATO’s usefulness and relevance to them. An enhanced image of NATOwould enable the organization to better fulfil its duty. For instance, favourablecommunication could amplify national leaders’ ability to raise funds for defense.Because NATO cannot and should not intervene in every global conflict, it shoulddefine “zones of intervention”. Furthermore, the organization should not decideto intervene solely on the basis of moral or legal considerations, but rather on themore practical basis of efficiency.NATO should focus more on the development of its partnerships and cooperationwith non-member countries.NATO should work more on conflict prevention. In particular, it shouldemphasize political solutions (through increased dialogue), not only militarysolutions, to current problems.Decisions should be made faster and more easily. On this point, Syria wasmentioned as an example of inefficient decision making processes.NATO should redefine itself. The organization made sense during the Cold War,but now it needs a new “strategic concept”. People have moved beyond the idea ofNATO as a necessary entity, which reflects negatively on the organization’s image.This sentiment was mentioned mostly by Western Europeans.NATO needs to increase its staff, budget and logistics. As a result, some countriesshould provide more support.3

Non-Member Countries: NATO partially fulfils its duty tomaintain peace.One-quarter of the delegates said that NATOtotallyfulfils its duty to maintain peace,while the remaining three-fourths said itsomewhatfulfils this duty.The parliamentarian from Switzerland said that, in his country, NATO is seen as awar organization, not as a peace keeping organization. “The Swiss are very criticaltoward NATO,” he said.The parliamentarian from Afghanistan said that NATO “brought a good securitysystem” to the country, but its mistakes have delayed operations and, after almost12 years, the mission has not been accomplished.”Although the parliamentarian from Bosnia and Herzegovina said that NATO onlysomewhat fulfils its mission, he added, “more than 60% are faithful to NATO and thestability it provides.”Parliamentariansfromnon-membercountriesofferedthefollowingrecommendations on how NATO could do a better job of maintaining peace:“NATO should deal strongly and broadly with neighbouring countries, such asPakistan,” said the parliamentarian from Afghanistan. “If we don't stop terrorismat the root (in Pakistan), Afghanistan will never be safe”;NATO should maintain an open-door policy through new memberships (Balkansand Georgia). “If Georgia were a member country,” said the parliamentarian fromGeorgia, “NATO would not have 80% support, but 100% support”.

Parliamentarians’ Perceptions of NATOMember Countries: Most parliamentarians say NATO playsan essential role in ensuring the collective defense ofmember countries.Three-quarters of delegates and more than half of their political parties have averyfavorableopinion of the NATO, while they believe that only one-fourth of thecitizens in their countries share this view. According to parliamentarians, citizenstend to have only asomewhat favorableopinion of NATO.Attitudes about NATO, in general, correlate strongly to perceptions regardingNATO’s role in ensuring the collective defense of its member states. This is true bothfor delegates and their national political parties, who see NATO’s role asessential.However, parliamentarians declared that citizens of their countries are lessoptimistic, reporting that half of them regard the role of NATO on this matter only assomewhat important.The vast majority of respondents (85%) see NATO as acrucial playeron the globalstage. One parliamentarian echoed this perception by saying, “It is the onlyorganization with real power, capabilities and rules of engagement that can allow atrue and effective intervention.” Additionally, almost all of the parliamentariansinterviewed believe that NATO represents the needs of its member nationswell(49%) or at leastpartially(49%). On this question, the most positive answers weregiven by Conservatives and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, while Socialistspredominately think that the Alliance onlypartiallyrepresents the countries’ needs.

NATO is clearly considered the most useful organization in ensuring internationalpeace and stability. In fact, NATO ranks first in front of other supranationalinstitutions, such as the United Nations, the EU institutions, the Organization forSecurity and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe.

Non-member countries: More than half of Parliamentarianssay NATO plays an essential role in ensuring the collectivedefense of member states.Only half of the delegates from non-member countries have avery favourableperception of NATO, while the remainder aresomewhat favourableorneutral.Theyfeel that this trend is also valid for the citizens and political parties in their countries.The role of NATO as anessentialactor in ensuring the collective defense is perceivedas such by the majority of the delegates. More than half of non-member delegatesbelieve that NATO plays acrucialrole on the global stage—compared with theirmore optimistic counterparts from member countries. The exception is non-memberdelegates from the Liberal party, who share the optimism of their member countrycounterparts. That said, only half of non-member delegates think the national partiesand citizens in their countries agree.There is a good alignment on the fact that NATO represents the needs of its membernationswellor at leastpartially.This view is strongly supported by Conservativesand Liberals—all agreed that needs arewell represented.But only half of theSocialists interviewed share this opinion.

Public Perceptions of NATOMember Countries: NATO is well known, but fewunderstand what NATO actually does.Parliamentarians said the majority of people in their countries have heard of NATO,but only a minority understand what NATO actually does. Countries where citizenscannot correctly identify NATO include: Italy, France and Bulgaria. In Italy andFrance, most people have only heard about NATO in the context of the Cold War.Knowledge of NATO is age-specific: younger generations know less about NATOthan older generations do. As one delegate said, “Young people have difficultyunderstanding the necessity of NATO.”In terms of understanding what NATO does, results vary. Most of theparliamentarians said that the citizens in their countries know onlyvery partiallywhat NATO does. For instance, in France and the UK, according to delegates, citizensdo not know what the acronym NATO stands for or who the member countries are.In general, delegates said that their citizens have a vague idea of what NATO is, butnothing precise. Citizens tend to confuse it with other organizations (ISAF, forinstance, in the UK).NATO is also perceived differently in varying countries depending on nationalhistory. In Portugal, NATO is linked to democracy. In Lithuania, the presence ofNATO within the country has contributed to a favourable opinion held by its citizens.In France and Germany, NATO has an old image linked to the Cold War and peopleare not interested in the present-day NATO. Finally, it seems that Eastern Europehas a more informed view of NATO than Western Europe does. The history of thesecountries could explain this disparity.

Non-Member Countries: NATO is not well knownCountries where citizens cannot correctly identify NATO include Afghanistan andSwitzerland. Only one parliamentarian, from Bosnia, said that a majority of thepeople in his country are familiar with NATO. “We have different attitudesdepending on the geographical area,” he added. “But we need NATO and theFederation supports NATO. We think NATO is our future.”In Afghanistan, “all NATO soldiers are perceived as American” and a minorityunderstands NATO as an international force. “Only educated people knowNATO,” the parliamentarian said.In Switzerland, a minority has heard of NATO. Those familiar with NATO see it asa war organization and are not familiar with its peace keeping missions.According to the parliamentarian interviewed, “The Swiss are proud to beneutral”.A parliamentarian from the Republic of Moldova estimated that 40% of thepeople in his country know NATO as a military institution and perceive it incontrast to the Russian Federation.To improve the perception people have of NATO, parliamentarians, both memberand non-member, overwhelmingly suggest the use of media. Specifically, the mediashould be used to articulate the organization’s mission and objectives, to highlight itsachievements and inform the public about the benefits it offers. “NATO needs toproject a clearer mission,” said one delegate. “After the fall of the Berlin Wall and theend of the Cold War, NATO focuses only on justifying its existence.” Othersuggestions included use of social media, involvement in universities and schools(including seminars for teachers), limiting participation in missions outside ofmember areas.

CommunicationEnhancing Public AwarenessMember Countries: Communication is key to enhancingpublic awareness about NATO.A large majority of respondents believe that NATO should invest more incommunication. Several areas of improvement were suggested:Most delegates think NATO should be more present in the mass media, such asTV, radio and the press as most people are in tune with these channels.Documentaries and commercials are also channels to reach people and convincethem of NATO’s importance.In reaching out to the younger generation, NATO should use the internet, socialmedia and the most innovative technologies. To reach the world’s youth andbecome popular with them, NATO should also develop more partnerships withuniversities, and be more present in the job market. Some participants evensuggested NATO should become part of national school programs in order toreach younger demographics.Messages should be clear, short and simple. NATO “should speak to the hearts ofpeople.”A majority of delegates said being local is crucial: communication should notcome only from Brussels, but needs to be “outsourced” nationally. To this end,NATO should develop its relations with national representatives. Oneparliamentarian suggested “a national representative in every country, as peoplelisten to them and trust them more.”In terms of content, NATO should communicate its mission, emphasize itspolitical role (not only its military role) and talk more about its efforts to securehuman rights. Because NATO is not considered a necessity (mainly in WesternEurope: France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands), this woulddemonstrate its relevance to people.A minority said that NATO should change its behaviour in order to increaseawareness. For instance, two delegates think NATO should be more active not onlyby putting more effort into conflict prevention, but also by increasing its interventionin humanitarian disasters. Three delegates mentioned that NATO “does not alwaystell the truth” and one of them simply said that NATO should be “more frank, moreopen and fairer.”

Non-Member Countries: Solutions for enhanced publicawareness involved action more than communication.While delegates from non-member countries agree that communication efforts areessential to improving public awareness of NATO, many suggested concrete actionpoints, as well:In the Republic of Moldova, there are NATO Training Centres (e.g. the ProMarshall Centre) where NGOs meet—they are open to everyone. More of thesecould be established. Also, the TV channel "Freedom Europe" explains a lot about7

Europe and NATO; more of these types of channels could inform the public aboutNATO.With respect to Afghanistan, NATO should take into account the fact that mostpeople are not well educated. According to the parliamentarian interviewed, 85%of men there are not educated. Therefore, a focus on local education would makea big difference. For instance, “If the mullah can explain the role of NATO, peoplewill understand—they see the mullah 5 times a day.” This delegate suggested aprogram where NATO supports local mullahs through protection and moderatefunding in order to gain their loyalty. “It is a long process,” he said. “It needspeople and time, but it works. With this incentive, they will be loyal to thegovernment. Mullahs would say, ‘God save the international soldiers.’”According to the Swiss parliamentarian, NATO should provide more informationand implement discussions in Switzerland. The Alliance should also “get moreresources and money to be able to ensure that missions will have a good end.”

Communication with ParliamentariansParliamentarians were asked to evaluate NATO’s communication with them in termsoffrequency, quality, scope and transparency.They answered using a scale of 1 to10, 1 beingnot well at alland 10 beingvery well.

Member Countries: Communication is overall satisfactory.FrequencyOverall, parliamentarians from member countries are moderately satisfied (5.3) withNATO’s frequency of communication with them, although answers differsignificantly among members. Liberals and Socialists are slightly more satisfied withthe frequency of communication than are Conservatives. Men are more satisfied thanwomen with the frequency of communication. And, with respect to age,parliamentarians 35-65 years old are more satisfied than the youngest (under 35)and the oldest (over 65) delegates.

QualityOverall, parliamentarians rated the quality of communication directed toward themat a sufficient level (6.1). Again, Liberals and Socialists offered higher scores thanConservatives did. Satisfaction with the quality of the content is highest forintermediate age parliamentarians (35-49 years) and older parliamentarians (over65 years).

ScopeFor the delegates, the scope of the content is sufficient (6.0). Once again, Liberalsand Socialists offered higher scores than Conservatives did. Women are moresatisfied than men with the scope of content. Finally, satisfaction with the scope ofthe content corresponds to age: the intermediate (35-49 years) and oldest (over 60years) age groups are the ones who most appreciate the work of NATO in thiscontext.

TransparencyDelegates are somewhat satisfied with the transparency of communication (5.6).Liberals are, as usual, are more satisfied than other political groups. This time, theyare followed by Conservatives and Socialists. Men are more satisfied than women,however the difference is minimal. Satisfaction with the transparency of8

communication corresponds with age: the younger the delegate, the less satisfiedhe/she is.

Non-Member Countries: Satisfaction level is slightly higherthan for member countries.FrequencyParliamentarians from non-member countries gave a satisfactory rating to NATOregarding the frequency of communication to them. This score was slightly higherthan that of member country respondents (6.6). Looking at the breakdown bypolitical parties, Socialists attributed the highest score. Interestingly, with concern toage, the frequency of NATO communication was given the highest rating by youngerparliamentarians (under 35) and the score decreased with age. Those over 65 yearsold gave the lowest score.

QualityAccording to respondents from non-member countries, there is an overallsatisfaction with the quality of the content of NATO communications (7.1). Also,Liberals and Socialists attributed high scores. However, Socialists of non-membercountries are more satisfied than their counterparts in member countries. This time,satisfaction declined with age—the “under 35” category is the most satisfied.

ScopeThe scope of NATO’s communication content is sufficient, according toparliamentarians from non-member countries. They gave the Alliance a higher scorein this area than delegates from member countries did (6.6). Socialists are among themost satisfied with the scope of NATO’s communication. The youngest age group(under 35 years) gave NATO the highest score in this area.

TransparencyParliamentarians from non-member countries are satisfied with the transparency ofthe communication they receive from NATO. In fact, they assigned noticeably higherscores than the ones given by delegates from member countries (7.3). Liberals andSocialists tend to have a high opinion of NATO’s transparency in communication. Allof the age categories gave NATO high scores in this area with the exception of theover 65 group, who gave a score of 4.0 in strong disagreement.

Communication with the General PublicParliamentarians were asked to rate NATO’s communication with the general publicin terms offrequency, quality, scopeandtransparency.They answered using a scaleof 1 to 10, 1 beingnot well at alland 10 beingvery well.

Member Countries: There is room for improvement in termsof communication with the general public.FrequencyIn general, respondents feel that NATO’s frequency of communication with thegeneral public is below average (4.4). Liberals rank NATO’s communicationfrequency higher than Socialists and Conservatives do. Women tend to rank NATO’scommunication frequency higher than men rank it. And parliamentarians betweenages 50-65 years old gave NATO the highest score in this area.9

QualityOverall, parliamentarians rank the quality of NATO’s communication with thegeneral public as adequate (5.1). Liberals have a higher opinion of the quality ofNATO’s communication toward the public than do Socialists and Conservatives.Women are less critical then men in this area—they gave the organization a6.4 ranking, while men gave it a 4.9.

ScopeOverall, parliamentarians think that the scope of NATO’s communication with thegeneral public warrants an almost sufficient ranking (4.8). Liberals gave NATO thehighest ranking, while Conservatives and Socialists give it a lower score.

TransparencyOverall, parliamentarians ranked NATO’s transparency with the general public at alittle bit lower than satisfactory (4.6). Once again, Liberals gave NATO the highestranking. Socialists and Conservatives followed. Older Parliamentarians (over 65)have a higher opinion of NATO’s transparency with the general public, while theirintermediate aged counterparts are more critical.

Non-Member Countries: Although ratings are higher thanthey are for member countries, more effort should be putinto communication with the general public.FrequencyDelegates from non-member countries scored the frequency of communication withthe general public at below average, which is slightly higher than the score given bymember countries (4.0). Liberals gave the highest score, and Conservatives gave thelowest score. A reversed pattern was observed for communication with the public.Unlike communication with parliamentarians, where the score decreased with theinterviewee’s age, scores increased for older delegates.

QualityParliamentarians said NATO delivers a higher quality of communication to themthan it does to the general public. Parliamentarians of non-member countries alignwith those of member countries on this matter, providing similar scores (5.3). Themost satisfied age group is the “over 65”, whilst the most sceptical is the intermediateage-range (35-65 years).

ScopeNon-member countries gave a higher score than did member countries regarding thescope of communication content where the general public is concerned (5.1). Liberalsand Socialists gave the highest scores, while Conservatives gave NATO a considerablylower score. Age demographics for this category played out with the youngerdelegates giving NATO lower scores and the older delegates giving higher scores.

TransparencyParliamentarians tend to be less convinced of NATO’s transparency with the generalpublic than with themselves. In this area, they gave NATO a higher score than theone given by delegates from member countries (5.2). Liberals and Socialists have afavourable view of NATO on this matter, but Conservatives disagree. The oldestgenerations are the most approving of NATO’s transparency in communication.10

Suggestions for ImprovementMember and non-member parliamentarians are in agreement concerningrecommendations for improving NATO’s communication efforts. The followingsuggestions emerged:Focus more on informing students, the media, and political party activistsregarding NATO values and benefits of national participation, includingmembership (for non-member countries).Adopt a policy by which information should be shared by default with the publicand only to keep things secret only when there is a security reason to do so.Demonstrate in detail the procedures of decision-making and control withinNATO.Show the results of NATO’s work and decisions (At most, the public knows theresults of the NATO summits, but nothing about the organization’s activities oncyber security, education in Afghanistan, Libya, etc.)

Member Countries: Email is the preferred means ofcommunication, followed by conferences and assemblies.Communication with ParliamentariansIt should be noted that the percentages on the table below represent methodsparliamentariansthinkNATO should use to communicate with Parliamentarians(not the actual means they are using).Preferences are ranked in order of their frequency.Communication with ParliamentariansEmailConferences and AssembliesNATO WebsiteSocial MediaPress ReleasesTelephoneOrdinary Media: Newspapers, Radio89%53%39%26%16%11%3%

Parliamentarians overwhelmingly prefer email as a means of communication. Askedwhat means would be most effective for NATO to use in order to improve itscommunication strategy, nearly all of those interviewed suggested email. Thisresponse was given in reference to communication both with parliamentarians andwith the general public.Parliamentarians from the Liberal party prefer communication through conferencesand assemblies more than Conservatives and Socialists do. Liberals also use theNATO website considerably more than parliamentarians affiliated with other partiesdo. Half of the Liberals surveyed visit the NATO website, while only 40% of Socialistsand 35% of Conservatives do so. The same is true regarding press releases. One-fourth of Liberals suggested the use of press releases to convey information, whilefew Conservatives and Socialists did.Conservatives were the only group that mentioned the telephone as a means ofcommunicating with them. Interestingly, all of the respondents who suggested use ofthe telephone are men.All of the female delegates said e-mail is their preferred mode of communication,while only 83% of men did. Women also suggested the use of social mediaconsiderably more than men did: 67% recommended this technology, compared with19% of men. With respect to social media, Liberals suggested using this channel themost.

Communication with the General PublicPreferences are ranked in order of their frequency.Communication with the General PublicTelevisionLocal PressSocial MediaNATO WebsiteRadioInternational PressEducation programs for teachersand schools85%69%44%51%36%23%3%

All Socialists and the vast majority of Conservatives and Liberals suggested thetelevision platform for strengthening NATO’s communication strategy. There is abroad consensus here, independent of political affiliation.Roughly half of Liberals and Socialists suggested using radio as a means ofdisseminating information, and all but one of those who suggested using theInternational Press are men.Men also suggested using the NATO website more than twice as often as women did.That said, notably more women (67%) suggested the use of social media than didmen (39%). This is consistent with our findings regarding women who use socialmedia as a means of gathering information about NATO.

Non-Member Countries: Email is the most effective meansof communication; conferences and the website are alsoimportant.Communication with ParliamentariansThe answers are ranked in order of their frequency.Communication with ParliamentariansE-mailConferences and AssembliesNATO WebsiteSocial MediaPress Releases80%40%40%20%10%

All of Liberals and Socialists consider e-mail to be the most appropriate means ofstrengthening communication with parliamentarians. Conferences and assembliesare also better means of communicating with Liberals and Socialists than toConservatives. That said, Conservatives indicated that they to refer to a broader setof communications than did their political counterparts.

Communication with the General PublicThe answers are ranked in order of their frequency.Communication means to theGeneral PublicTelevisionLocal PressSocial MediaRadioNATO websiteInternational PressDedicated Events100%80%50%50%10%10%10%

All parties agree on the use of television for improving communication with thegeneral public. There is also a 100% consensus among Liberals on the use of radio, aswell. However, this is not shared by other political parties.Local press is the preferred means of communication for Conservatives, togetherwith television. Liberals and Socialists also support this method, but to a lesserextent. More than half of those surveyed think social media is a good way tocommunicate with the public. Finally, the age category of 50- 65 are more open tovarious means of communication, as they chose a broader set of communicationtools than the other age groups did.

NATO Post 2014The End of ISAFMember Countries: The end of ISAF is necessary.Regarding the effect that the end of the ISAF operation will have on NATO, mostdelegates agree that it will play to the organization’s best interest since “NATO needsthis break to rest and recuperate.” As one delegate said, “exits are as important asentries.” However, most parliamentarians also said that NATO needs to continuecooperating with Afghanistan in an advisory role in order to prevent furtherinstability, as “NATO did not manage to build a democracy there.”Still, the experience gained in Afghanistan has been positive. Many declared that ithas been an opportunity for NATO to learn. Members from Europe and the US haveworked “shoulder to shoulder” and have become more efficient in terms ofoperations. Some would like NATO to remember the lessons of this experience forfuture operations in order to be able to draw on them when preparing futuremissions.Leaving Afghanistan is seen as positive overall and as an opportunity to free up moreresources to deploy to other regions. Parliamentarians think it is important forNATO to play an active role in other regions. Respondents mentioned that the futureof NATO will mainly depend on how it is involved in conflicts in places like Syria, theSahel, the MENA countries (such as Libya) and the African coast.Aside from possible conflicts, some delegates think that NATO should begin a periodof reflection about areas of improvement, focus more on prevention of instability andincrease humanitarian initiatives. According to four parliamentarians, the fact thatthe US is rebalancing its commitment around the world creates an opportunity forEurope to play a major role in NATO.That said, many parliamentarians say NATO should not simply leave Afghanistanwithout continuing support to the country. “We cannot leave Afghanistan in oneday,” said a member delegate. “It should be a transition. We need to help the countryafter 2014. There are still problems: 80% of the worldwide supply of heroin comesfrom Afghanistan. We need to help the police and the army to create a stablecountry.”Although ending the ISAF program is considered a positive change for NATO,parliamentarians believe combating terrorism should be the main priority for theAlliance in the future. Cyber security and military operations are also perceived as akey strategic priority for NATO in the coming years.

Non-Member Countries: NATO should maintain a presencein Afghanistan after the end of ISAFAll parliamentarians from non-member countries who were interviewed feel NATOshould maintain a presence in Afghanistan. “They should organize some permanentcooperation to help local authorities,” said one delegate, who pointed out thecountry’s poverty and lack of structure. “It would not be good to just leave.”Strong terrorist threats from MENA countries remain, according to oneparliamentarian, and a lot still needs to be done about human rights and theimplementation of democratic procedures.The parliamentarian from Afghanistan mentioned efforts to sign a bilateral securityagreement as well as the fact that troops will remain in Afghanistan until 2020.“Some countries are waiting for NATO to leave,” he said, referring specifically to Iran15

and Pakistan. “They think that nobody will be there, so they can take over thecountry. But it won't be like after Russia left. Intelligence forces are in Afghanistan—their presence will send a message, and the international community will be able tosee what is going on to testify against their interference.”The top 10 priorities parliamentarians think NATO should have for thefuture are shown below in order of importance:Rank12345678910NATO PriorityCombating TerrorismCyber SecurityMilitary OperationsCapabilitiesEnergy SecurityTransatlantic BondMediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation InitiativeMaritime SecurityNATO-Russia RelationsOpen Door Policy

Defense SpendingMember Countries: About half of parliamentarians think 2%of GDP is sufficient to ensure security.Slightly more than half (56%) of the member parliamentarians surveyed think thatthe current target amount of 2% of national GDP allocated to defense is sufficient toensure security.56% think that amount isabout right;31% think that amount issomewhat highortoo high;13% think that amount issomewhat lowortoo low.

Non-Member Countries: The majority of parliamentariansthink 2% of GDP is sufficient to ensure security.Parliamentarians from non-member countries are more willing to increase the 2%allocation of GDP devoted to the defense budget.70% think the amount is about right;20% think that amount is somewhat low or too low;10% think that amount is somewhat high or too high.

Why most member countries don’t contribute 2%Parliamentarians from both member and non-member countries agree on thereasons most member countries don’t contribute their burden share to NATO.Overwhelmingly, the reason cited for low contributions was the economic crisis andthe resulting budget reductions which leave fewer funds for defense. Other reasonsgiven were lack of political will, a heavy reliance on the US for protection andnegative public opinion toward defense spending.

The Parliamentary AssemblyIntegration of NPA into Parliamentary WorkMember Countries: The majority of parliamentariansintegrate their activities at the NPA into their work.About half (46%) said theyalwaysdo so, and most of the other half said theysometimesdo (46%) so. Very fewrarelydo so (8%).When communicating information about the NPA to others, parliamentariansaddress the following:Recipients of communicationThe ParliamentTheir Political PartiesThe General PublicThe PressThe GovernmentMilitaries and Former Soldiers77%62%54%31%36%3%

Non-MemberCountries:information is strong.

Communication

NPA

The majority of non-member parliamentariansalwaysintegrate NPA activities intotheir home country parliamentary work.About one-third do it onlysometimes.All non-member parliamentarians communicate the content of the NPA sessions toother parties. In particular, they do it towards:Recipients of communicationThe ParliamentTheir Political PartiesThe PressThe General PublicThe Government91%82%73%64%27%

Satisfaction with NPAMember Countries: Parliamentarians were very satisfiedwith the conference.Overall, parliamentarians werevery satisfiedwith the NPA.The vast majority of parliamentarians felt the timeframe of the NPA wasjust right,including opening sessions, panels, reports and the closing sessions.The vast majority of parliamentarians felt the debate was adequately moderated,giving delegates an opportunity to discuss the draft reports.

Non-Member Countries: Parliamentarianssatisfied with the conference.

were

very

Overall, the majority of parliamentarians (64%) werevery satisfiedwith the NPA inDubrovnik. The rest were at leastsomewhat satisfied.There is a complete consensus on satisfaction regarding the timeframe of the closingsession, the panels and the reports discussion. All were deemed to have beenjustright.82% of parliamentarians judged the timeframe for the opening session asjust right,while 18% considered it to besomewhat long.Overall, there was a positive consensus on the role of the moderator—nearly allagreed that the debate was adequately moderated.

Conclusions &RecommendationsEnhancements for NATO’s reputationNATO should make better use of the media to define itself in the public arena. Manypeople, including those from member countries, still have no idea what NATO doesin a present-day context. The Alliance is perceived by many as an artefact of the ColdWar or a strictly military organization. The suggestion of engaging the publicthrough local channels is a good one. Establishing NATO representatives inindividual countries would give an authenticity and immediacy to NATOcommunication and would bring the organization into closer proximity with “realpeople.” Also, the use of social media, universities and schools should be consideredto reach the Post-Cold War generation. Young people, who are in the process offorming lifelong opinions, are an important demographic for NATO. As futureleaders, they should have a solid understanding of the Alliance and its mission.NATO should make a concerted effort to broadcast about its policies and efforts to abroader audience. Both member and non-member parliamentarians agree thatefforts at conflict prevention, humanitarian aid and partnership with non-membercountries would also help.

Enhancements for NATO’s CommunicationWhile few parliamentarians said that NATO should change its communicationapproach to increase its visibility, most agreed that its communication strategy canbe improved. As mentioned earlier, one suggested way was to have a more aggressiveand tactical use of mass media. To reach broader demographics, the Alliance shoulduse an array of media tools ranging from radio to the internet to press releases andtelevision.In addition to technological solutions, NATO can partner with local political groups,NGOs and educational institutions to promote its work at the national level.Messages should be contextualized to local cultures: e.g. in Afghanistan, NATOshould communicate with the mullahs, in France with young academics and in theUnited States with Democrats and Republicans.

Enhancements for NATO Post 2014Although in the year 2014 there will be the end of the ISAF operation,parliamentarians do not see this as a revolutionary change. In retrospect, peopleview NATO’s involvement in Afghanistan as a positive experience that has bornefruit. In light of this, the post 2014 period should be seen as an opportunity to reflecton the past decade and consider what capabilities acquired in Afghanistan can bedeployed in future missions. That said, NATO continues to be vital to ensuring thecollective defense in its Member States. Terrorism, cyber terrorism and futureconflicts (e.g. Syria) should remain high on the agenda. Finally, especially in non-member countries, there is the belief that NATO should establish permanentcooperation with local governments in order to help them maintain stability.

Appendix IMethodologyQuantitative studyThe paper questionnaire, distributed to the parliamentarians at the beginning of theNPA, aims at answering the following general research questions:What are parliamentarians’ general perceptions of NATO?How well does NATO communicate with them?What are their views on NATO post-2014 and on the funding of NATO?How satisfied were the participants with the NPA in Dubrovnik?

We aligned a final list of questions with NATO’s specifications in order to guaranteethat all of the required topics were covered. However, we received only 57 completedquestionnaires by the end of the NPA. In order to increase the representativeness ofthe sample, a second round of telephone calls was done with the secretaries ofDelegations. We have asked if it was possible to chase the Delegates once again to getanswers to the questionnaire. From this second round, we gathered two newresponses.During the telephone calls with the secretaries of Delegation, we received somecomments that we can point to as explanations for the lower response rates to thequantitative survey. A number of secretariats specified that Delegates did not feelconfident in completing the questionnaire because of language barriers. Others toldus that Delegates are already over-loaded with surveys on a daily basis, and theysuggested that a way to increase the response rate would be to propose the survey asecond time during one of the upcoming events organized by NATO.Furthermore, there is the possibility that one Delegate has decided to answer as arepresentative of the entire delegation, especially for small countries. In fact, theSecretary from the Swiss Delegation told us that although we received only oneresponse, it could be counted for the whole delegation since the delegates had agreedto answer the questionnaire as a group.To constitute a representative sample of the 256 parliamentarians who attended theconference, we should have had a sample of 70 delegates. However, we were able tocollect only 59 responses. Of those, 9 were discarded due to missing informationregarding their countries, leaving us with 50 relevant questionnaires.

Qualitative studyIn addition to the quantitative study, we have conducted a qualitative assessment bycarrying out face-to-face interviews with 29 parliamentarians. The resultinginformation was used to complement the findings delivered through thequestionnaire.The questionnaire for the face-to-face interviews complemented the firstquestionnaire in that it asked parliamentarians to expand on their views previouslyexpressed. Specifically, the following themes were discussed:NATO’s reputationPerception about NATO post 2014NATO’ communication efforts20

The interviewees asked mainly open ended questions to give interviewees anopportunity to further elaborate their answers. This provided a deeperunderstanding of the findings related to the quantitative study.The final list of questions was also aligned with NATO’s specifications in order toguarantee that all of the required topics were covered.Interviews were conducted in Dubrovnik during the NPA. All interviews lastedapproximately 10 minutes.

AnalysisEach question has been analysed both separately and within the overall context ofthe questionnaire.We present the results per type of country (members vs. non-members), politicalparty and gender, when relevant. These findings are not generalizable to thewhole population of parliamentarians as the sample is still not representative (forthat, we need 70 completed questionnaires).Answers from the face-to-face interviews provide more insight on distinct topics,but they cannot be understood as generalisations. Our findings explicitly identifyanswers that came from the face-to-face interviews.We adapted the data analysis methodology according to the type of question:-Close-ended questions require the interviewee to select one answer among apre-defined list. For instance, this may be a yes/no answer or a 1 to 5 answer.In this case, we performed quantitative analysis, using mainly frequencies andaverages.Open-ended questions require the interviewee to use his/her own words toexplain the answers. In this case, we classified the answers by key messages,measured the iteration of similar answers and put the key messages intocontext in order to infer the main findings.

Interviewee profile for the quantitative studyThe sample is composed of 50 respondents from the following countries and ischaracterised as follows:Number ofresponses

Type of country

Country

Member countries

Non-member countries

BelgiumBulgariaCanadaCroatiaCzech RepublicFranceGreeceItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgNetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalSloveniaSpainTurkeyUnited KingdomArmeniaAustriaBosnia and HerzegovinaGeorgiaMoroccoRepublic of MoldovaSerbiaSwitzerlandUkraineTOTAL

311126163211111121411111221150Non-membercountries

Age

Total

Membercountries

Under 3535 -4950-65Over 65No answerTOTAL

314266150

210215139

1451-11

Political group affiliationConservatives, ChristianDemocrats and AssociatesAlliance of Liberals andDemocratsSocialistOtherNo answerTOTAL

Total2410141250

Membercountries

Non-membercountries

20711-139

433-111Non-membercountries

GenderFemaleMaleTOTAL

Total

Membercountries

64450

63339

-1111

Interviewee profile for the qualitative studyThe group of respondents for the face-to-face interviews is composed of 29respondents from the following countries and is characterised as follows:CountryAfghanistanAlbaniaBelgiumBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCanadaFranceGeorgiaGermanyHungaryIcelandItalyLithuaniaLuxembourgNetherlandsPolandPortugalRepublic of MoldovaSpainSwitzerlandTurkeyUnited KingdomTOTALTotal111112311122111111112229

Type of countryMember countriesAssociate countriesPartner countries and guestsTotalPolitical group affiliationConservatives, Christian Democrats and AssociatesAlliance of Liberals and DemocratsSocialistOtherTOTALGenderFemaleMaleTotal

Total244129Total1386229Total52429

Appendix IIQuestionnaire used for the quantitativestudyRespondent name (optional):Gender:Country:Political Group Affiliation:□Conservatives, Christian Democrats and Associates□Alliance of Liberals and Democrats□Socialist□OtherAge:□□□□I.Q1Under 3535 -4950-65Over 65NATO’S REPUTATIONPlease rate the perceptions the groups listed below have of NATO.Tick only one answer per column.YourselfVery favourableSomewhat favourableNeutralNot very favourableNot favourable at allQ2What measures would you recommend NATO take to improve theperception your country’s citizens have of the organization?Please explain.How do the groups listed below perceive the role of NATO in ensuring thecollective defense of its member states?Tick only one answer per column.YourselfEssentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot importantYour nationalpolitical partyThe citizens inyour countryYour nationalpolitical partyThe citizens inyour country□□FemaleMale

Please rank the following institutions according to their usefulness inensuring international peace and stability.Please use a scale from 1 to 5, 1 being the most useful and 5 being the leastuseful.NATOUnited Nations (UN)European Institutions (Commission, Council and Parliament)Organization for Security and Cooperation in EuropeCouncil of EuropeOther: please specify

Q5a□□□□Q5bQ6□□□□

Do you see NATO as a crucial player on the global stage?Tick one answer only.Yes, totallySomewhatNot very muchNot at allWhy or why not?Please explain.How well does NATO represent the needs of its member nations?Tick one answer only.WellPartiallyNot very wellNot at all well

II.Q7a

COMMUNICATIONHow well does NATO communicate with you in the following areas?Please use a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being not well at all and 10 being very well.Tick only one answer per row.1Not wellat all2345678910Verywell

FrequencyQualityScopeTransparencyQ7bWhat means would be most effective for NATO in improving itscommunication with you?Tick all that apply.E-mailTelephonePress releaseNATO websiteSocial mediaConferences and assembliesOther: please specifyHow does NATO communicate with the general public in your country?Please use a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being not well at all and 10 being very well.Tick only one answer per row.

□□□□□□□Q8a

1Not wellat allFrequencyQualityScopeTransparencyQ8b

10Verywell

How should NATO improve its communication strategy towards the generalpublic in your country?Please explain.What means would be most effective for NATO in improving itscommunication with the general public in your country?Tick all that apply.NATO websiteLocal pressInternational pressTelevisionRadioSocial mediaOther: please specify

Q8c

□□□□□□□

Q8d

What measures should NATO take to further enhance its transparencytowards the general public in your country?Please explain.PERCEPTIONS OF NATO POST 2014According to you, how should NATO rank its priorities for the future?Please use a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being the most important and 10 being theleast important.Military OperationsCapabilitiesNATO-Russia relationsOpen Door PolicyMediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation InitiativeCombating terrorismCyber securityMaritime SecurityEnergy SecurityTransatlantic BondOther: please specify

III.Q9

Q10Q11

According to you, what should NATO not do in the future?Please explain.Overall, do you believe the current target amount of 2% of national GDPallocated to defense is sufficient to ensure security?Tick one answer only.It is too highIt is somewhat highIt is about rightIt is somewhat lowIt is too lowWhy do you believe that most member countries do not contribute 2% oftheir GDP to defense?Please explain.

□□□□□Q12

IV.Q13a

NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLYDo you integrate your activities at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NPA)into your work in the National Parliament?Tick one answer only.AlwaysSometimesRarelyNeverIf so, how?Please explain.To whom do you communicate the content of the NPA sessions?Tick all that apply.GovernmentParliamentPolitical partyGeneral publicPressOther: please specifyI do not communicate this information to other partiesOverall, how satisfied were you with the Dubrovnik session of the NPA?Tick one answer only.Very satisfiedSomewhat satisfiedNeutralSomewhat dissatisfiedVery dissatisfiedOverall, how satisfied were you with the timeframe of the sessions?Tick only one answer per row.Too shortSomewhatshortJust rightSomewhatlongToo long

□□□□Q13bQ14□□□□□□□Q15□□□□□Q16

OpeningsessionsPanelsReportsClosing sessionsQ17Overall, do you think that the debate was adequately moderated, givingdelegates an opportunity to discuss the draft reports?Tick one answer only.YesNeutralNo

□□□

Discussion guide used for the qualitativestudyRespondent name (optional):Gender:□Female□MaleCountry:Political Group Affiliation:□Conservatives, Christian Democrats and Associates□Alliance of Liberals and Democrats□Socialist□OtherI.Q1.□□□□Q2.II.Q3.III.Q4a.Q4b.□□□□Q5.Q6.NATO’S REPUTATIONDo you think NATO fulfils its duty to maintain peace?Yes, totallySomewhatNot very muchNot at allIf not totally, what measures should it take in order to do so?PERCEPTIONS OF NATO POST 2014How will the end of the ISAF mission affect NATO?COMMUNICATIONDo you think most people have heard about NATO?Do you think most people understand what NATO does?Yes, totallySomewhatNot very muchNot at allWhat measures could NATO take to enhance public awareness about theorganization?Other comments:

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