The document summarizes the challenges faced by a qualitative research team conducting a study on the impacts of repealing the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy for senior policymakers at the US Department of Defense. The study had tight timelines and high volume needs. It also had to maintain confidentiality while distinguishing qualitative findings from survey data. The team worked closely with DOD, providing education on qualitative research. Analysis of engagement transcripts revealed two distinct perspectives on the policy's repeal that differed on issues of civil rights, military image, and core values. The team's findings informed the implementation of repeal across the military services.

1. Review of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”:
Challenges in Delivering Qualitative
Findings to Senior Level Policymakers
in the US Department of Defense
Susan Berkowitz, Ph.D.
Conference on Qualitative Research for
Policymaking
Belfast, United Kingdom
May 26, 2011

2. Qualitative Study Objectives
Engage Service members and family members to
obtain their perspectives on:
—How repeal of DADT would affect various
facets of military, family and community life
—How repeal should be implemented and why
• Explore how perspectives differed by respondent
characteristics (e.g., sexual orientation, gender,
Service, pay grade group)
2

3. Multiple Challenges
Politics and methodology
High volume, rapid analytic turn-around
Confidentiality requirements
3

4. Unique Challenges for
Qualitative Tasks
• Distinguishing qualitative from survey components
• Representing/clarifying/explaining distinctive value
and utility of qualitative findings: took on
unanticipated value when seen as “genuine data”
4

5. Qualitative Team’s Strategy with
Policy Makers
• Worked closely with DOD—engaged
frequently, on multiple levels, with senior
leaders, policy team, education and training
team, writers
• Acknowledged multiple interests
• Did not shrink from playing active educational
role vis-à-vis systematic, disciplined nature of
analysis and interpretation of qualitative data
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6. Qualitative Team’s Strategy with
Policy Makers (cont)
• Emphasized and demonstrated value of what qualitative
data could provide with and without survey data
• Found succinct, but non-reductive ways of
summarizing/representing qualitative findings:
— Two distinct, internally consistent sets of views on
anticipated impact of repeal grounded in fundamental
value differences
— Encapsulated Service members’ and family members’
views on implementation of repeal
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7. Background: The Context
• Hot button political issue
• Highly visible in media/blogs
• Top security environment
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8. Background: the CRWG
• DoD Comprehensive Review Working Group
(CRWG) established by Secretary of Defense
Gates on 3/2/2010-report due December 1, 2010
• Co-Chairs: Jeh Johnson, General Counsel of the
Department of Defense & General Carter Ham,
Commander U.S. Army in Europe
• Representatives of all Services/Departments
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9. Background: CRWG Charge
• Reach out to the force to ”understand their views
and attitudes about the impacts of repeal”
• Undertake a thorough examination of all changes
to regulations and policies
• Examine the potential impacts of a change in the
law on military effectiveness, including unit
cohesion, recruitment and retention, and family
readiness
9

10. Westat Data Collection Tasks:
Tight Timelines all Around
Quantitative:
Web Survey (Service members)
Mail-based Survey (Spouses)
Qualitative:
Focus Groups (FGs)
Information Exchange Forums (IEFs)
Leadership Discussion Groups
Confidential Communications Mechanism (CCM)
10

11. Qualitative Data Sources: Notes
from….
•Service member engagements
• Focus Groups (119)
• Information Exchange Forums (81)
• Leadership Discussion Groups (29)
• Spouse engagements
• Focus Groups (7)
• Information Exchange Forums (13)
• Family Readiness Leadership Discussion Groups (12)
(April 22 – September 14, 2010)
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12. Qualitative Data Sources: Verbatim
Transcripts/Comments from….
•Confidential Communication Mechanism (CCM)
• Online semi-structured interviews (160 of 2691)
• Only data source that offered robust comments from LGB
Service members.
• DoD-sponsored Online Inbox (1,500 of 72,384)
• Open-ended survey comments
• Spouse survey comments (2,000 of 34,917)
• Service member survey comments (2,000 of 46,155)
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13. Qualitative Analysis Approach
Team-based, integrated, task-differentiated
Use of Nvivo8 software
Comprehensive coding structure
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14. Examples of Codes
• Civil rights/free speech – Relationship between DADT – or
its repeal – and First Amendment rights.
• Military image – How repeal would make the U.S. Armed
Forces look to others.
• Core military values – How repeal relates to the speaker’s
view of the core beliefs and values of the military.
• Leadership and guidance – Need for strong leadership and
guidance to ensure smooth implementation of repeal.
14

15. Two Distinct Sets of Views on
Impact of Repeal
Civil Rights Civil Rights
Military Image Military Image
Core Values Core Values
Leadership & guidance
15

16. “The fight for Gay rights is what the fight for African
American rights were, civil rights and human
freedom.”
“DADT is a violation of the 1st amendment right of
freedom of expression. Homosexuals are in the
military currently and are serving their country with
pride. Why should it be up to the DoD to decide if
somebody can openly serve as a homosexual?”
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17. At what point does a change in policy infringe on
the civil rights of those who find active homosexual
behavior morally unacceptable?”
“If the state favors the demands of the homosexual
activists over the First Amendment, it is only a
matter of time before the military censors the
religious expression of its chaplains and
marginalizes denominations that teach what the
Bible says about homosexual behavior.”
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18. “With regard to the rest of the world, we would look
better in their eyes if this repeal is lifted. Other
countries have already implemented similar lifts. It
will improve foreign relations.”
“The military has often been a leader in
championing social change to reduce bias and
discrimination. It is time to repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t
Tell’ and provide fairness under the Constitution of
law for all those dedicated to serving our great
nation.”
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19. “If DADT is repealed, we, as a family, would be
disappointed. The military would have been the
only place other than church that upholds the same
core values as us. Repealing DADT would make
the military no different from everything else that
tries to please the minority.”
“Have they looked at our enemy, the one we’re
fighting now? This is one more recruiting tool they
have to kill American soldiers. [There are] people
who feel that homosexuality is punishable by
death.”
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20. “In the Marine Corps, integrity is a very important
thing. Joining into the USMC, people lie about what
they’re sexuality is only to become a fighter for
their country. The moment they raise that hand,
they lie. Then we’re brain washed to have all the
integrity in the world, but when we do admit our
sexuality, we’re wrong.”
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21. “If DADT does get repealed, how would they deal
with integrity? They’ve been lying about it for
clearance. He’s been in the Navy for 18 years and
says he’s gay and has been lying for 18 years.
How will they deal with that?”
“It is an issue of integrity. If a leader who has
served in the Army for a long time comes out and
says he is gay, he has been living a lie and I would
lose respect because he lacks integrity.”
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22. “The leadership needs to be proactive and
communicative, provide resources and information.
There needs to be consequences for improper
behavior.”
“In the military, you are given orders and you drive
on. This policy needs to come from the top, with
specific guidelines. Soldiers will then adapt, as
they always do.”
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23. “Will ‘gay’ become the new minority and wind up
being given special privileges to avoid
discrimination suits?”
“The biggest reason for keeping the current policy
is that…any time a person, who is known to be gay
or lesbian, gets a poor evaluation or fitness report,
not selected for a program or any other similar
situation will use their sexual preference to their
benefit. EO already has enough to deal with.
What’s next? Making selection quotas for Gays
and Lesbians?”
23

24. DADT costly
Information management/image management
Personal effectiveness
Family and personal relationships
Repeal not easy, but ultimately worth it
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25. The weight of “serving in silence”
“It [DADT] forces good people who choose to join
the military to keep a very important part of who
they are secret. It may not seem like a big deal to a
straight person, but not being able to share with
your friends and fellow soldiers your relationship
status is a major stressor… Keeping it secret or
even worse lying about it for fear of being
discharged causes undue stress and distracts from
mission readiness.”
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26. Personal effectiveness
“I got out of active duty partially due to the impact
DADT was having on me. I found it increasingly
more frustrating to have to hide who I was which
was making me increasingly more irritable which
was affecting my work.”
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27. Family and personal relationships
“ [If repeal occurs] My partner would be able to
meet my unit members and their family as well as
my unit would be able to see the more human,
nonmilitary side of my life, which adds to unit
cohesion. Currently we have been forced to avoid
topics such as family, children, vacations,
etc…since it would be a dicey area which could
potentially place either myself or my fellow sailors
in a difficult situation with the law.”
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28. Repeal will be hard but still worth the cost
“In my Unit and in the military as a whole, like
racial slurs, the “gay” comments will continue
unless ..commanding officers and the higher
echelon endorse, enforce and educate an equal
opportunity policy (EOP) towards all. Change is not
going to happen overnight.”
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29. How does it all end?

30. The Outcome
• 12/22/10-President Obama signs repeal legislation
• “No longer will our country be denied the service of
thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced
to leave the military-regardless of their skills, no
matter their bravery or zeal, no matter their years
of exemplary performance-because they happen to
be gay. No longer will tens of thousands of
Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look
over their shoulder, in order to serve the country
that they love.”
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31. Implementation Plan
• Where the qualitative data had most impact
• “Successful implementation will depend on strong
leadership, a clear message and proactive
education throughout the force. With a continued
and sustained commitment to core values of
leadership, professionalism, and respect for all…”
Defense Secretary Gates, December 18, 2010
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32. Key Implementation Messages
• Leadership matters most (sexual-orientation
neutral clear, equitable, enforceable standards)
• Communicate and educate
• Promote strength through professionalism—
emphasize core shared values (e.g. freedom,
service, patriotism, integrity, honor)
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33. 3-Tiered Training: All 2.2+
million Service members
• Tier 1: Policy makers, chaplains, lawyers,
counselors
• Tier 2: Commanding officers, senior
noncommisioned officers, senior civilians
• Tier 3: Troops across all Services
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34. Training (cont)
• Began in February, leader-led “chain teaching”
• Each Service conducting its own following CRWG
guidance
• Reported to be going well
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35. Marines on repeal training
• “We follow orders and regulations…That’s what Americans
have come to rely on when you’re speaking about the Marine
Corps…That’s the drumbeat from the commandant on
down…We’re going to do this, and we’re going to do it
professionally.” –Marine Sgt. Major, North Carolina
“ I'm not here to change your belief system; that's not what this
is about. You're free to be who you are. But when you begin
to infringe on the rights of other Marines, that's the limit.” –
Trainer, Camp Pendleton
Los Angeles Times (May 1, 2011) – “Marines briefed matter-of-factly on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
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36. AAPOR Policy Impact Award
• CRWG, Westat and Rand Corporation awarded
2011 Policy Impact Award by American
Association of Public Opinion Research for
“outstanding research that has had a clear impact
on improving policy decisions practice or
discourse, either in the public or private sectors.”
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37. Reports
• Department of Defense
— Report on the Comprehensive Review of the Issues
Associated with a Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’
— Support Plan for Implementation
• Westat
— Volume 1 - Survey Findings
— Volume 2 - Findings from the Qualitative Research Tasks
• RAND
— RAND Report 2010: Sexual Orientation and the U.S. Military
Personnel Policy
http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0610_gatesdadt/
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38. Questions?