María Jiménez * is determined to put an end to corruption in Peru. The 26-year old economist monitors public works and files reports on irregularities. This can lead to complaints and penalties for construction firms that commit violations. María is participating in a monitoring program called Citizen Control Monitors, comprised of hundreds of volunteers who, like her, have … [Read more...] about Citizen Monitoring is Combating Corruption in Peru
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Community Participation: The Key to Confronting Natural Disasters in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador
On October 30, 1998 Hurricane Mitch caused hundreds of rock and debris-filled landsides, brought about by the erosion of riverbanks in the most vulnerable neighborhoods on the outskirts of the cities of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela. The most devastating landslide originated below the hilltop of what is today called the Cerro El Berrinche. It was an event of biblical … [Read more...] about Community Participation: The Key to Confronting Natural Disasters in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador
Transparency and Technology: How Citizens can Track Public Money
Facebook posts that include pictures result in an average of 180% more interactions compared to simple text posts. Including photos in LinkedIn increases the probability of having comments by 98%. The same thing happens on Twitter. How are these statistics relevant to transparency policies? Very simple. If a country wants to provide open access to information about public … [Read more...] about Transparency and Technology: How Citizens can Track Public Money
Five lessons for successful government partnerships
Educational quality improvement program in Peru. Governments in Latin America spend billions on social programs each year, reaching millions of people with critical public services. But can governments identify more cost-effective strategies to deliver these services? Relying on data and evidence to improve policy design and implementation is one way to ensure … [Read more...] about Five lessons for successful government partnerships
Do Government Audits Reduce Corruption? Evidence from Brazil
By Eric Avis, Claudio Ferraz, and Frederico Finan Every year billions of dollars in government funds go missing. Whether these resources are diverted into the pockets of public officials, redistributed as bribes, or otherwise misused, these acts of corruption pose serious threats to government effectiveness and public trust around the world. In recent years, a number of … [Read more...] about Do Government Audits Reduce Corruption? Evidence from Brazil