Key staff members at ORCA HQ Kabul
Who We Are
ORCA was established in January 2008 as an independent full-service Afghan research center operating in the areas of market, media and opinion research. For over one and a half decade, our solutions for research have encompassed PAPI, CAPI, CATI, and CAWI, FGD and IDI. Being a 100% Afghan-owned and run business, we have cumulated practical and in depth understanding of Afghanistan’s peoples, cultures, religions, conditions, and geography over the last fifteen years of field research experiences in Afghanistan. We have on-going well-tested working solutions for most of the research challenges in areas where extensive illiteracy, hostility to research and strict cultural restrictions on access to households heavily exist. Our professional integrity and service excellence have rapidly gained a lasting reputation for delivering some of the largest national surveys across the country.
Governance
The governing composition of ORCA comprises of the board of directors, the senior management, field researchers and support staff. The board of directors formulates policies to improve ORCA’s research capabilities through constant search for new ways to advance our heritage of innovation. The senior management team members are accountable for the smooth implementation and day-to-day running of research projects.
Our field teams are highly trained in research techniques and methods, both in-country and overseas, with regular training updates and survey specific training when needed. They are not only long-timers, but also have a deep and hard-earned experience of the Afghan context, from the national, provincial, and village, down to the household level. They are well-prepared for outstanding performance even in the most challenging and hostile regions of Afghanistan.
With the above-mentioned extensive field force and a focus on delivering high quality and credible research, we are known to many of our clients as the preeminent researchers in Afghanistan.
Our headquarters are located centrally in Kabul equipped with computer networks, in-house data entry and analysis. Our regional offices are located in Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, and Kandahar Cities.
We also have a licensed branch office located in Virginia, USA.
Trade Name and Mark
The Orca (Orcinus orca), less commonly, Blackfish or Seawolf, is the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family. It is found in all the world’s oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to warm, tropical seas
Opinion Research Center of Afghanistan (ORCA) is our registered trade name. Shadows inside the letter ‘O’ represent variety of peoples voicing their opinions to ORCA (i.e. data collection). The wave design represents various opinions merging with each other (i.e. analysis).
Orca, if considered as a word, has very deep relation to the wave design of our logo. It is the largest and strongest species of the oceanic dolphin family. It has been known to humans since prehistoric times. Orca has been known to co-operate with humans, travel very fast and is the most stable, highly social and friendly.
Orca, if considered as a word, has very deep relation to the wave design of our logo. It is the largest and strongest species of the oceanic dolphin family. It has been known to humans since prehistoric times. Orca has been known to co-operate with humans, travel very fast and is the most stable, highly social and friendly.
Through our contacts with over 1.6 million of humans so far gets us familiarized among humans. We cooperate with communities as part of our corporate social responsibilities. We are also highly social and friendly among ourselves, with our respondents, clients and business contacts.
Our slogan is, ‘ORCA Helps You Make Better Decisions!’
Corporate Principles
Mission
The mission of ORCA is to :
- Provide high quality and reliable research that informs decision makers in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan.
- Provide credible market research about business and investment opportunities in Afghanistan.
- Practice social responsibility through small demand driven development projects out of our profits.
Vision
The vision of ORCA is to establish a culture of research for demand driven development in Afghanistan.
Strategy
We have conducted some of the largest public opinion surveys in Afghanistan over one and a half decade, and trained hundreds of multi-ethnic Afghan men and women on standard research techniques and methods, both in-country and overseas. Collecting reliable qualitative and quantitative data throughout Afghanistan is what we do best, and by doing so we inspire our clients around the word to invest in Afghanistan.
Core Values
Honesty : We communicate openly and realistically with each other and our clients.
Quality : We are highly committed to deliver on our promises. We strive to work as hard as possible and look forward to all current and future challenges and opportunities to maintain our trade name ‘ORCA’ prestigious in the market.
Dignity : Regardless of ethnicity, color, beliefs, and gender, we respect each other literally, with dignity and equity.
Comparative Advantages
All under one-roof
Survey designing, Programming, Data collection, Data processing, Analytics and reporting/charting.
Grade of excellence
Quality is at the heart of everything we do. We understand the importance of maintaining the highest industry standards, because your ability to make informed decisions depends on the information we deliver.
Unmatched geographical coverage
We have a track-record of completing successful nationwide studies in all 34 of the 34 provinces, including areas outside the government control (with support of local tribal leaders). We have access to almost every village in Afghanistan.
The largest field team in Afghanistan
Having had the opportunities to run some of the largest nationwide multi-wave surveys over a decade, we had to recruit and train more and more interviewers to keep up with the demand of our clients. Many of our international clients chose to train our interviewers and supervisors in-person in Afghanistan and abroad to make sure they meet the industry standards. Today, we have access to a pool of 1,500 trained and experienced interviewers across the country.
Flexible approach
We understand that no two requirements are alike. Aligning with client goals, we offer our clients the option of multiple methodologies, timelines and budget.
24 by 7 Responsiveness
We benchmark ourselves on our promptness in our communication and response to your requests.
We are competitive
cost advantages of minimum 15%
Social responsibility
Our goal is to implement small sustainable projects based on the community needs identified by our field research teams. These small development projects, such as digging water wells and providing stationary to school kids, are implemented out of the 10% of our profits and community contributions.
