Sudan Polling Statistics Center is Afrobarometer’s national partner in Sudan.
Established in 2010, Sudan Polling Statistics Center (SPSC), is the first Polling specialised centre in Sudan. The center successfully completed two previous surveys for Afrobarometer (2015 and 2018) and organized two academic seminars (2015 and 2019).
Good statistics have always been important for economic and social development in Sudan; however, the statistical systems needed to generate the data have often not been properly appreciated or resourced. From this emerged the idea of establishing a Sudanese specialised research centre whose work, activity, and output focused on meeting the demand for better data by collecting, analysing, and disseminating statistical data to serve public and private decision-makers at all levels.
SPSC aims to be a point of reference in Sudan with regard to scholarly research on statistics, public opinion, and social studies. It is considered a pivotal point and forum for academic activities and initiatives since one of the biggest challenges of contemporary Sudan is the provision of statistical and social research as a basis for good governance and planning. SPSC is envisaged to bridge this gap by generating and disseminating a constant flow of scholarly works and treatises that provide reliable, adequate, accurate, and recent data for the use of the general public, government bureaus, public opinion and policymakers, decision-makers, community-based organizations, national and international non-governmental organizations, academics, and students.
SPSC also aspires to be a platform for capacity building and training in interdisciplinary approaches and statistical methodologies for students and employees working in this field. In collaboration with a network of researchers, research institutes, NGOs, academics, and partners throughout the country, SPSC is thus working to address issues pertaining to Sudan’s peace, development, democracy, and justice.
SPSC’s main objectives are:
- To provide high-quality statistical data relevant to socio-economic and development issues and public opinion.
- To serve as a reference point and destination for studies and research relevant to statistical analysis, social surveys, and public opinion.
- To build strong and lasting scientific relations with partners in and outside Sudan.
- To operate in a dual capacity as both a scholarly centre that conducts academic research and as a consultancy service that issues policy recommendations related to quantitative, socio-economic, educational, and political research.
- To diagnose and analyse gaps in scientific research, especially with regard to statistics and public opinion, and raise funds to do research in this identified niche.
A board of directors and an executive board plan and oversee centre activities. Under the guidance of the general director, the executive manager, and the fieldwork general manager, research teams carry out research and survey work.
SPSC has many successful cooperation linkages with other centres and research institutes, including the University of Gezira, Economic and Social Research Bureau, Central Bureau of Statistics, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, University of Jordan, and cooperative institutions and individuals across the Sudanese states.
