Survey results -- what do NGOs think of the treaty bodies?

I posted a brief survey for NGOs at the end of 2014. The turnout was less than I had hoped (only 10 responses). I will use some different approaches next cycle to try to get a better response rate. Please note – I am not claiming this is a statistically valid sampling.  However, it still seems the results are interesting and useful in seeing the treaty body strengthening topic from the NGO perspective.  The sampling of NGOs who did respond also seems to be a fairly representative cross section of the NGOs who participate in the treaty body system – 60% international NGOs, 40% local/regional NGOs. Eight of the 10 Committees in the system were followed by one or more of these NGOs.  

Question 1

Answer Choices–	Responses–
– Human Rights Committee (CCPR)	60.00% 6
– Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racism (CERD)	30.00% 3
– Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)	40.00% 4
– Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESC)	40.00% 4
– Committee Against Torture (CAT)	90.00% 9
– Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT)	10.00% 1
– Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)	30.00% 3
– Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)	40.00% 4
– Committee on the rights migrant workers and their families (CMW)	0.00% 0
– Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)	0.00% 0
Total Respondents: 10

Question 2

Answer Choices–	Responses–
Extremely satisfied	30.00% (3)
Moderately satisfied	50.00% (5)
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	10.00% (1)
Moderately dissatisfied	0.00% (0)
Extremely dissatisfied	10.00% 1
Total	10

Question 3

Answer Choices–	Responses–
Extremely well	10.00% (1)
Quite well	40.00% (4)
Moderately well	40.00% (4)
Not at all well	10.00% (1)
Total	10

Question 4

·        

Question 5

Answer Choices–	Responses–
Better scheduling announcements so it is more clear when events concerning my country are coming up	40.00% (4)
More focus on implementation	80.00% (8)
More time, space and consideration given to NGO input	40.00% (4)
More practical information on "know your rights" and "how to implement treaty body recommendations"	30.00% (3)
More information on the current status of follow up of particular concluding observations and Views (case decisions) with my country	40.00% (4)
Improved webcasting	20.00% (2)
Improve individual complaint mechanisms and the information on how to use them	40.00% (4)
more effectively drafted concluding observations	40.00% (4)
Improve the questioning practice and the time allocation between states and committee members during the review of reports	50.00% (5)
more focus on late and missing reports, and more criticism of reports which fail to respond to the issues raised but are over the page limits	40.00% (4)
better UN press release coverage	20.00% (2)
Responses Other (please specify) 1. Other means for NGOs to follow up with provision of updated information 2. Subscriber mailing lists to follow particular committees or issues.	20.00% (2)
Total Respondents: 10

Question 6

Answer Choices–	Responses–
Reduce the backlogs	40.00% (4)
Harmonize procedures & working methods between treaty bodies	50.00% (5)
Improve access to information and documentation at the UN treaty body website	40.00% (4)
Establish a clear focal point in each treaty body for persons who have experienced reprisals after testifying or submitting information to the treaty body system	30.00% (3)
Improve implementation of treaty body recommendations	100.00% (10)
Improve the questioning procedure and time allocation during the dialogue with states, so that less time is wasted on unnecessary information	20.00% (2)
Improve the meeting room set up and signage information to make it easier to find and attend a committee meeting	0.00% (0)
Responses Other (please specify) 1.      Increased attention on substantive coherence across the treaty bodies 2.      Where a state party has received criticism from treaty bodies, it would be good for the treaty body to have a monitoring of NGO and news stories that highlight continued breaches and incidents of abuse, etc.	20.00% 2
Total Respondents: 10

Summary

This survey would seem to suggest that NGOs are satisfied on the whole with what the treaty bodies are trying to accomplish, but improvement would be very welcome too. The suggestions made by some NGOs in the individual responses to questions 5 and 6 were also very interesting.  The emphasis on the need for more implementation also comes through in the results.  What do you think of this survey? Do you agree or disagree with these results? Any suggestions on how to make a NGO survey process like this more successful would be very much appreciated.