Aiming at enhancing the flow of information and views on public policy issues among the public, and between the public and the state, this project plans to conduct national attitude surveys on democracy, economic environment, civil society and public participation, o be undertaken in year one and year three of the project period. The surveys will be conducted in collaboration with the Afro barometer Network.

The Afro barometer is an independent, nonpartisan research project that measures the political and economic atmosphere in a range of Africa contries. Afro barometer surveys are conducted using a standard set of questions through which trends in public policy and attitudes can be tracked obetime and across countries, and prevailing trends systematically compared. Results are shared with decision malers, concerned ditizen who would like to be ore informed and active.

The initial survey will be undertaken during the first year of the present project to be followed by more extensive surveys in the second third years, with an impact assessment in the third year of the project.

It is hoped that the public opinion surveys will increase public awareness and understanding of issues of democratization and political and economic liberalization in Ethiopia and elsewhere in the region, while providing policymakers the feedback on public perceptions of official policies and their implementation, perceived public needs, and possible need for appropriate policy adjustment