The Asia Foundation

Support for the development of "Community-based Clean Water Solutions," by selecting a section of a river and designing a future pilot project in the area with community-based clean water solutions and participation through multi-stakeholder consultations.

Improving the business climate and increasing formal economic activity in Aceh. Advancing women's civic participation. Engaging key officials and community leaders to support women's civic participation and legal empowerment.

Local Partners:

Anti-Corruption Movement (GeRAK); Bitra Foundation; Regional Autonomy Watch (KPPOD); Regional Forum for Small and Medium Enterprises (Forda UKM) of North Sumatra

Gaining a better understanding of local economic governance conditions in Indonesia so that local governments, the private sector, and civil society can address barriers to private sector development through reform and advocacy.

Local Partners:

AC Nielsen; Regional Autonomy Watch (KPPOD)

Measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of doing business at the local level in 11 districts in Malaysia. The BEI (also known as the Economic Governance Index) is a country-specific diagnostic tool used to assess and rank subnational units (provinces, states, districts, etc.) on various aspects of the regulatory environment.

Local Partners:

Monash University Sunway Campus Malaysia; RAM Holdings Berhad

Conducting a feasibility study to determine the potential of public-private dialogues to improve marketplaces in provincial Cambodia.

Half-day seminar highlighting opportunities for U.S.-ROK private sector collaboration on green growth, featuring the chairman of South Korea's Green Growth Commission, and co-sponsored with the Korea Economic Institute. Sponsoring quarterly reports which reviewed the latest developments in South Korea's pursuit of its green growth strategy, including international collaborative efforts to promote green growth.

Targeting reforms that improve Philippine competitiveness in international economy to jumpstart economic growth. Focusing on connectivity through infrastructure reforms and delivery, including international maritime trade, local infrastructure investment and improving the policy environment for international air connectivity, as well as technical assistance to airports to prepare them for international flights. Assisting the Department of Tourism and Department of Public Works and Highways in identifying economically critical roads to jumpstart the tourism industry. Improving property rights, access to credit, and investment through implementation of the 2010 Residential Free Patent Law.

Local Partners:

Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Cebu Business Club; Clark International Airport Corporation; Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Foundation for Economic Freedom; Iloilo Business Club; Metro Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Palawan Tourism Council; Philippine Social Science Council; Research, Education, and Institutional Development Foundation

Conducting an eight-month research project to increase knowledge of the factors affecting women's access to trade and growth of women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia, and offer policy recommendations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat (APEC) and its member economies.  Increasing understanding among policy-makers of women SME owners' constraints, and the roles these stakeholders can play to remove these barriers and promote economic growth.

Support for research to improve the competitiveness of firms in the garment, seafood, and electronic product industries in Vietnam.

Local Partner:

Central Institute for Economic Management

Give2Asia is The Asia Foundation's partner providing guidance to private donors on their philanthropy to Asia. In addition to $145,822 in direct support for Asia Foundation projects in FY11, Give2Asia provided $3,156,010 in the fields of women's empowerment, environment, and economic reform and development, as well as $23,209,762 for activities in health, education, social welfare, disaster response, and culture.

Facilitating the development and training of herders' associations in Inner Mongolia on grassland management, animal husbandry, product marketing, and public participation in local decision-making.

Local Partners:

Inner Mongolia Agricultural University

Empowering Acehnese women to participate in post-tsunami economic recovery by providing support to formalize currently informal micro-finance institutions, increasing the number of women who can access small loans, and increasing the average loan amount offered.

Local Partner:

Center for the Development of Women's Resources (PPSW)

Addressing the needs of the urban poor and migrant communities by supporting the establishment of a Labor Crisis Center for crisis-affected workers and building the public advocacy and worker support capacity of labor organizations.

Local Partners:

Council of Work and Environment Related Patient's Network of Thailand; Cultural Center, Group of Union Omnoi-Omyai Area; Government Employee Association of Thailand; Group of Labor Unions-Rangsit and Nearby Area; Petroleum and Chemicals Workers Federation of Thailand; Promoting Community Rights Association for Development; Saraburi & Nearby Labor Group; Thai Labor Museum Foundation; Thai Labor Solidarity Committee; Transport Workers' Union of Thailand; Women Workers' Unity Group; Working Group on Alleviating the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Affected Labors Project; Working Group on Friends for Friends Project

Advancing the case for reforms that simplify business operations and reduce the informal costs of doing business at the subnational level. Improving the climate for rural small and medium enterprise activity and contributing to poverty reduction by stimulating private sector growth at the subnational level. Promoting a more business-friendly economic environment in the districts covered by the program, and an environment for more inclusive policymaking and regulatory formulation.

Providing business development loans and mentoring to migrant entrepreneurs in Beijing, with a focus on women beneficiaries.

Local Partners:

China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation

Supporting a research initiative to assess needs of migrant workers to start their own businesses, as well as existing government, NGO, and private sector incentives and services available to migrant workers.

Local Partner:

Beijing Fuping Development Institute

Publication of economic periodical Nefport: Docking Nepal’s Economic Analysis.

Local Partner:

Nepal Economic Forum

Supporting an assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of the government's Nong Thon Moi (New Countryside) program in Nam Dinh province.

Local Partner:

Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Rural Development Center

Strengthening the capacity of the parliament in economic policy reform by introducing regulatory impact assessment methodology to core officials and staff of the Senate Research Department and concerned commissions, and key research staff of the National Assembly.

Local Partners:

Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia; Cambodian Institute of Development Study

Identifying best practices and providing recommendations for promoting public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Bangladesh. Supporting exposure visits for government, private sector and civil society representatives to Asian countries successfully implementing PPPs, and convening a national dialogue between different stakeholders to take this agenda forward.

Identifying impediments to rapid development of hydropower as well as political strategies for reforming hydropower development policy in Nepal.

Local Partners:

Niti Foundation

A comprehensive, evidence-based document (based on meta-analysis of existing literature and an analysis of a perception survey) on the cost of economic non-cooperation to consumers.

Local Partner:

Sustainable Development Policy Institute

Conducting public private dialogues on local business climates in select urban areas, building web–based issue tracker software, and analysis and dissemination of politics of resource allocation in Butwal Municipality.

Local Partners:

Forest Action; Institute of Governance and Development; Outsourcing Pvt. Ltd.

An event to release Asia Foundation book on Strengthening Local Economic Governance In Asia: Experience and Innovations, featuring case studies on Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.

Facilitating public-private dialogues to improve citizen participation in economic decision-making in four districts in the state of Tamil Nadu, and developing action plans for the improvement of service delivery and infrastructure.

Local Partner:

Centre for Development Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research

Institutionalizing the capacity within local governments to implement effective, efficient and accountable regulations and processes for business licensing, with an emphasis on small and medium enterprises.

Local Partners:

Center for Public Policy Analysis (Akademika); Rural Technology Development Institute (LPTP)

Supporting CSOs to implement innovative, market-based economic development models to generate income and employment in distressed rural areas, and to deliver critical social services to urban poor and migrant labor populations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Local Partners:

Center of Education Development; Centre for Environment and Community Development; Center of Education Development (CED); Environment Communication & Community Development Association (ECCDA); Ho Chi Minh City Child Welfare Foundation (HCWF); Institute for Community Health and Development (LIGHT); Institute for Research and Consulting on Policy, Law and Development (PLD); Southern Center for Support and Development of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises (SOCENCOOP); Vietnam Rural Industries Research and Development Institute (VIRI); Worker Support Foundation

Strengthening collaboration between The Asia Foundation and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) in order to provide effective development assistance in the Asia-Pacific region in sectors of mutual interest including governance, law and justice, gender, and economic development. Engaging in strategic-level dialogues to identify future work priorities and developing a framework for further programming.

Support for research to identify best provincial economic governance practices on transparency and access to information.

Local Partner:

Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Seven case studies on the political economy of economic policy reform in the Philippines and an emerging model for achieving reform.

Developing economic profiles of Balkh, Bamiyan, Herat, and Nangarhar provinces. 

Promoting use of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) to analyze regulations at the national and subnational levels in order to increase public participation and reduce numbers of distorting regulations; Revising the national RIA Manual with the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS); Hosting RIA trainings for provincial government officials from Bali and North Sulawesi; Providing assistance in East Nusa Tenggara and Aceh to utilize RIA.

Research on the competitiveness of exporting firms in Vietnam with a focus on three industries—garments, seafood, and electronic products. Findings from the research will contribute to CIEM’s effort to recommend strategic policies and supporting measures to the government that will help facilitate Vietnam’s sustainable growth and development.

An India Local Economic Environment (I-LEE) pilot project focused on driving improvements in district-level resource allocation in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Developing models of eco-tourism and community-based tourism in Hanoi’s Ba Vi district, with the goal of generating employment opportunities for the local poor who have been strongly affected by the recent economic crisis.

Travel of CIAC officials to Kuala Lumpur to meet with Malaysian airport officials and representatives of the low-cost airline industry; Participation of CIAC officials in the “7th Annual Low Cost Airlines Conference” in Singapore; Analysis and assistance in drafting marketing, business, and operations plan for Clark Airport; Developing a land-use plan carried out by international engineering firm, AECOM; Participation in the “Routes Asia 2010 Airline Convention” in Adelaide; Participation in the “EyeforTransport 8th 3PL USA Summit 2010” in Atlanta, Georgia.

Research project and workshop on better policies to help green small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to be environmentally friendly, with a focus on energy efficiency and the renewable energy sector.

Technical assistance to the Rural Development Center (RUDEC) for the development of a composite rural public service index; Training course on quantitative research (methods, techniques, and applied statistics) to enhance the capacity of the RUDEC research team; Multi-purpose data and research resource center for an extensive user community—including researchers, students, lecturers, social workers, and policymakers in Vietnam—to facilitate evidence-based analysis for research, policymaking, and social development programs.

Research to assess the needs of migrant workers in starting their own businesses; Surveying existing government, NGO, and private sector incentives and services available to migrant workers to start such businesses.

Workshops, media campaigns, and policy advocacy to improve the provision of infrastructure in the Philippines, particularly in the province of Iloilo.

Enhancing the efforts of CSOs to deliver critical social services to people severely affected during the global economic crisis, focusing on the needs of migrant labor and the urban poor.

Design and implementation of a logistics study in East Nusa Tenggara to estimate the costs of intra and inter-island trade and transport, complementing previous studies on the cost of moving goods.

Public-private dialogues on the local business climate in Kaski, Morang, Banke, and Rupendehi districts.

Study on the politics of resource allocation in Butwal Municipality, following up a 2008 Asia Foundation study.

Research and advocacy for an improved subnational business climate, including developing socio-economic profiles of regions that are economic laggards and identifying the regulatory, infrastructure, and other constraints to private sector growth and investment.

Conducting the second round of a perception survey to analyze the local business climate in Kaski, Morang, Banke, and Rupandehi districts.

Strengthening the private sector in rural Bangladesh by enhancing the capacity of business associations (samities) to represent member interests and more effectively engage with public agencies and officials; Improving the demand and supply sides of the local-level public sector service market for promotion of rural Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) at the sub-district level; Enhancing the sustainability and stakeholder ownership of subnational business reforms by providing technical support to facilitate dialogue among the different business stakeholders at the district level.

Supporting a poultry production and training program in Kunduz province.

Workshops, media campaigns, and policy advocacy to improve the provision of infrastructure in the Philippines, particularly in the province of Pampanga.

Preparing case studies, publishing articles, and hosting television talk shows about local governance and economic growth in three provinces.

One-day seminar on Politics of Resource Allocation in Nepali Municipalities.

Developing and publishing the economic intelligence periodical Nefport: Docking Nepal's Economic Analysis.

Investigative reporting of misuse of financial resources at the local government level.

Establishing small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) associations in Aceh; Training SME associations in policy advocacy to ensure private sector concerns are heard during local policymaking processes.

BITRA Foundation Indonesia; Center for Public Policy Analysis (Akademika); Citizen Advocacy Institute (PIAR); Community Advocacy Institute of Cendana Wangi (Lakmas Cendana Wangi); Rural Technological Development Institute (LPTP); Research Center of the University of Nusa Cendana (Lemlit Undana).

Establishing and improving One Stop Shop (OSS) business licensing centers to expedite, and reduce the costs of business permits in East Nusa Tenggara and Aceh; Assisting provincial governments of Aceh, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, and North Sulawesi to strengthen their role in monitoring and supporting district-level OSS; Working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to revise national OSS guidelines and to develop an OSS curriculum and a monitoring and evaluation framework.

Mapping business associations in Cambodia and updating the 2009 Business Association Directory.      

Supporting the Buy Cambodian Products trade fair—aimed at improving the marketing of products and services of Cambodian firms, displaying new products, sharing information, and establishing long-term business relationships between Cambodian and international businesses.

Disseminating results of the PBES to more than 200 participants from Koh Kong, Kampong Cham, Kratie, and Stueng Treng provinces—including business owners, representatives of local business associations, and government officials—to raise awareness of the importance of improved business environments for local micro-, small-, and medium-enterprises.

Establishing local level public-private dialogues as platforms of discussion where CBO members (mostly farmers and fishermen) can identify business constraints and take some collective steps to find workable solutions for an improved business environment through engagement with subnational and national government.

Supporting effective implementation of 2009 Public-Private Partnership legislation that allows government and private sector collaboration to speed project implementation on development priorities such as energy generation and transportation infrastructure.

Pilot project, in collaboration with Monash University Sunway Campus Malaysia, to adapt the Business Environment Index (BEI) methodology and survey instruments to the Malaysian context. 

Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Ampara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Badulla District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Batticaloa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Central Province Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Central Province Exporters Chamber; Central Province Women's Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Chamber of Commerce & Industries of Yarlpanam; Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Uva Province; Galle District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Galle District Women Entrepreneurs Chamber; Gampaha District Chamber of Commerce Industry & Agriculture; Gampaha District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Jaffna Women's Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agro-Business; Kalutara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kegalle District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kalutara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kegalle District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Killinochchi District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Kurunegala District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Matale District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Matara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mannar District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Moneragala District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mannar District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Moneragala District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Mullaitivu District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Nuwara Eliya District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Polonnaruwa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Puttalam District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Polonnaruwa District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Sabaragamuwa Province Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Sabaragamuwa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Vavuniya District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Vavuniya District Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Supporting an association of presidents of leading chambers and industry called the "Regional Advocacy Forum" to advocate for policies to improve the business environment at the provincial and national levels.

Conducting Local Economic Governance surveys in 25 municipalities and districts in Aceh and Nias and in 267 districts and municipalities in the provinces of Bengkulu, Jambi, West Sumatra, Lampung, Bangka Belitung, Banten, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South East Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua and West Papua.

Drafting of analytical political economy case studies on successful and unsuccessful reform attempts in the Philippines.

Activities to improve the provision of infrastructure in the Philippines, focusing on three main components: improving the policy environment for public-private infrastructure projects, increasing the transparency of the infrastructure budget process, and expanding the roll-on, roll-off sea transport network; Analysis of Joint Venture Implementing Rules and Regulations and relevant public-private partnership laws with recommendations on adjustments; Identification of shovel-ready, necessary, and bankable projects; Analysis of maritime Southeast Asian shipping.

Pro-poor economic research in six provinces of the Mekong Delta region focusing on women and marginalized groups; Recommendations on regional strategies and practical local solutions to generate income and employment opportunities for the target groups; Regional workshop to disseminate findings and a position paper on new patterns of poverty to policymakers; Final report to be published and disseminated to the public; Study to develop a comprehensive rural public service index in Vietnam; In-depth research to map out a comprehensive picture of current rural public services; Developing a set of indicators and measurement methods for public service quality assessment; Constructing a comprehensive rural public service index.

Scoping study for an index at the district level that focuses on governance issues affecting farmers.

Strengthen the capacity of the Parliament in economic policy reform by introducing Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) methodology to core officials/staff of the Senate Research Department and concerned commissions, as well as to some key research staff of the National Assembly. The RIA approach and methodology will help the Senate trainees to better evaluate and analyze the potential impact of regulations on private sector development, with a special focus on regulations affecting business environments at the subnational level.

Training and strengthening production of an orchard in Bamiyan province.

Ten training courses to enhance the cooperatives’ internal governance and agricultural production skills; Cooperative coaching program for five provinces on business strategy development, marketing, and brand development; Information network and database to facilitate market access and adaptation of cooperative operations to agricultural technological innovations; Public events and trade promotion activities to enhance linkages between value chain actors; Documenting the cooperative profiles and success stories for dissemination.

Holding the Balochistan Economic Development Forum to provide stakeholders a common platform to analyze provincial economic issues and opportunities in order to contribute to planning for economic development of the province.

Mapping best practices in transparency and access to information which can be formulated into targeted technical assistance packages; Provincial workshops to deliver the packages to local governments and to disseminate best practices to support reforms in other localities; Web-based business survey to capture the state of the economy and business environment, and provide economic forecasts; Dissemination and outreach activities based on survey results to foster public-private consultation and partnerships in policy formulation and economic development.

Building capacity for local people in identification and utilization of their local resources to improve living standards and establishing management structures for community-based tourism (CBT) development; Improving basic tourism-related infrastructure and facilities of the craft villages; Increasing income and job opportunities for poor people by improving rural industries and CBT while establishing efficient marketing services and facilities; Sharing experience for the development of CBT to improve livelihoods in other areas of Bac Ninh province and throughout Vietnam.

Biweekly magazine for the Tamil-speaking public on issues related to human rights, local governance, democracy, economic development, and gender equality.

Partnership with the German Technical Assistance (GTZ)-Private Sector Promotion program to support the publication of the 2009 Business Association Directory and map of Cambodian business associations in order to improve visibility of business associations and increase the networking capacity of micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Workshops for owners of more than 500 small businesses to develop skills in business planning and management.

Establishing and improving One Stop Shop (OSS) business licensing centers to simplify, expedite, and reduce the costs of the business permit application processes in four districts in East Nusa Tenggara Province and five districts in Aceh Province, and at the provincial level in two provinces; Assisting the Bali and North Sulawesi Provincial Governments to strengthen their roles in monitoring and supporting the district-level OSS; Working with Ministry of Home Affairs and partner's to revise national OSS guidelines and to develop national OSS curriculum and a monitoring and evaluation framework at the national level; Simplifying procedures to increase formalization rates, thereby contributing to employment and enterprise creation.

Strengthening the capacity of Bangsamoro Development Agency through the conduct of strategic planning; Halal familiarization visit to Thailand.

Increasing access to information on laws, regulations, and policy changes relating to business operations and licensing; Engaging with the public sector in promoting transparency and accountability in services provided to micro, small, and medium enterprises at the provincial level; Organizing inauguration ceremonies of licensing registration boards in Seam Reap, Sihanoukville, Svay Rieng, Kandal, Battambang, and Phnom Penh.

Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Ampara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Badulla District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Batticaloa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Central Province Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Central Province Exporters Chamber; Central Province Women's Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Yarlpanam; Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Uva Province; Galle District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Galle District Women Entrepreneurs Chamber; Gampaha District Chamber of Commerce Industry & Agriculture; Gampaha District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Jaffna Women's Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agro-Business; Kalutara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kegalle District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kalutara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kegalle District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Killinochchi District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Kurunegala District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Matale District Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Matara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mannar District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Moneragala District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mannar District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Moneragala District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Mullaitivu District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Nuwara Eliya District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Polonnaruwa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Puttalam District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Polonnaruwa District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Sabaragamuwa Province Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Sabaragamuwa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Vavuniya District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Vavuniya District Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Supporting the creation of an association of presidents of leading chambers, of commerce and industry represented in the "Chamber Presidents Forum" to advocate for policies to improve the business environment at the provincial and national level.

Technical assistance to the Rural Development Center (RUDEC) in the development of a composite rural public service index; Training course on quantitative research (methods, techniques, and applied statistics) to enhance capacity of the RUDEC research team.

"Sri Lanka Entrepreneur of the Year Awards" to honor outstanding entrepreneurs at the provincial and national level.

Research to assess the needs of migrant workers in starting their own businesses and survey existing government, NGO, and private sector incentives and services available to migrant workers to start such businesses.

Supporting the implementation of reforms on key policy issues—including civil aviation reform, electricity services reform, infrastructure provision and roll-on, roll-off provision—aimed at promoting growth and investment through the improved performance of economic growth hubs.

Technical assistance to develop and implement an economic development strategy for Hambantota District in consultation with the private sector.

Ambalangoda Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Ambalangoda Urban Council; Ampara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Ampara Town Traders' Association; Ampara Urban Council; Batticaloa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Batticaloa Municipal Council; Batticaloa Town Traders' Association; Chamber of Commerce & Industry Trincomalee District; Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Central Province, Central Province; Central Provincial Council; Chilaw Fisheries Traders Association; Chilaw Jewellers' Traders Association; Chilaw Traders Association; Chilaw Urban Council; Eastern Provincial Council; Ekamuthu Traders' Association, Nuwara Eliya; Gampola Chamber of Commerce Industry; Gampola Urban Council; Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce; Hambantota Traders' Association; Hambantota Urban Council; Hikkaduwa Traders' Association; Hikkaduwa Urban Council; Industrial Services Bureau; Kalmuni Municipal Council; Kalmunai Tamil Traders Association; Kalmunai Traders Association; Kandy; Kandy Municipal Council; Kattankudy Urban Council; Kinnya Traders Association; Kinnya Urban Council; Kuliyapitiya Suhada Eksath Velanda Sangamaya; Kuliyapitiya Urban Council; Kurunegala Sinhala Traders Association; Kurunegala Women's Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agribusiness; Kurunegala Municipal Council; Matara District Women's Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Ministry of Industries, Central Province; Maruthamunai Traders Association; Matale District Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Agriculture; Matale Municipal Council; Matara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Matara Municipal Council; Muslim Traders Association, Kandy; Nawalapitiya Traders Association; Nawlapitiya Urban Council; Nuwara Eliya District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Nuwara Eliya Economic Centre; Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council; Puttalam District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agribusiness; Puttalam Traders Association; Puttalam Urban Council; Regional Enterprise Development Agency; Ruhunu Chamber of Commerce Industry & Agriculture; Sainthamarudhu Traders Association; Sinhala Traders Association, Kandy; Southern Provincial Council; Tamil Traders Association; Traincomalee Urban Council; Wayamba Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Wayamba Provincial Council; Women's Chamber of Small Industries & Commerce.

Supporting private-public "working groups" of the participating chambers of commerce, trade associations, and local and provincial government agencies to improve the local and provincial business environment in 19 towns and four provinces.

A one-year India Local Economic Environment (I-LEE) pilot project focusing on driving improvements in the district-level economic environment in the state of Tamil Nadu, in collaboration with The Centre for Development Finance at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (CDF-IFMR). The primary purposes of I-LEE are to: 1) Better understand the gap in district-level diagnostics for local, state, and national planning and investment; 2) Build the capacity of local governments to understand private sector needs—particularly of small and medium sized enterprises—and respond more effectively to these through their own actions as well as through their interactions with higher and lower levels of government; 3) Support dialogue between public and private sector stakeholders on planning and investment to support better socio-economic outcomes.

Survey of business perceptions on the local regulatory and policy environments in Cambodia's 24 provinces. The "2009 Provincial Business Environment Scorecard" (PBES) included a separate panel group analysis of respondents within the 10 provinces surveyed in the previous PBES (2006) to assess changes in these areas.

Orienting politicians to the role of the private sector in economic development in the province.

Designing and implementing a logistics study in East Nusa Tenggara Province, which estimates the costs of intra and inter-island trade and transport. This study complements the Foundation's previous studies on the cost of moving goods via road transportation and in the areas of regulatory reform and anti-corruption initiatives.

Conducting public-private dialogues on the local business climates in Kaski, Morang, Banke, and Rupendehi Districts.

Design of a perception survey to analyze the local business climate in Kaski, Morang, Banke, and Rupandehi Districts.

Strengthening relations between traders associations and the municipal council resulting in increased revenue for the council.

Understanding the business climate in four local districts in Nepal through surveys and the administration of public-private dialogues with the Nepal Economic Forum.

Study tour of business-persons from Mannar to Tangottuwa Industrial Estate to build business linkages in partnership with the Ministry of Industries.

Entrepreneurship awards in the Central, Uva, and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.

Conducting economic analysis for a business climate perception survey; Providing recommendations on how to conduct public-private dialogues in Kaski, Morang, Banke and Rupandehi Districts.

Establishing small and medium sized enterprise (SME) associations and providing technical assistance in five districts in Aceh Province; Policy advocacy trainings for the newly established SME associations to be able to effectively engage in local policymaking processes and to voice private sector concerns.

Workshop series on "The Role of Cambodian Parliament in Economic Policy Reform for an Improved Business Environment" to strengthen the capacity of the Cambodian Parliament in the policy-making process, to help members of Parliament work more effectively with the Executive branch in shaping economic policy reforms, and to provide an opportunity to learn from the experiences of neighboring countries.

Designing and implementing stakeholder analysis and budget review studies, particularly those related to maternal, new born, and child health issues in the Districts of Malang and Pasuruan in East Java. Study results provide a basis for budget advocacy activities in the two districts.

Research and analysis of the infrastructure budget from 2002-2009; Advocacy to make the infrastructure budget transparent; Analysis of the lump sum budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Implementing the Local Economic Governance survey in 23 municipalities/districts in Aceh Province with more than 1,000 business operators interviewed. The survey aims to promote competition among local governments to create a more favorable investment climate, eradicate corruption, and improve public services.

Center for Public Policy Analysis (Akademika); Aceh Anti-Corruption Movement (GeRAK Aceh); Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia (LPEM FEUI); National Network for SME Supporters (JNP-UKM); Rural Technology Development Institute (LPTP); Research Center of the University of Nusa Cendana (Lemlit Undana).

Technical assistance on Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) methodology and analysis of select regulations using RIA tools at the national and sub-national levels; Working with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade to review four national regulations, and with the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) to revise the national RIA manual at the national level; Series of RIA workshops and trainings to Bali and North Sulawesi Provincial Government officials to strengthen the role of the provinces on regulatory reform at the provincial level; Technical assistance at the local level, to two districts in East Nusa Tenggara Province and five districts in Aceh Province. The RIA approach emphasizes public participation and cost benefit analysis to improve regulatory review and drafting processes. RIA can be used to reduce numbers of distorting regulations, thus reducing the overall regulatory burden on businesses in Indonesia.

Institutional Development for Enhanced Subregional Cooperation in the archipelagic Southeast Asia Region through a conduct of field research and development of a report on the impact of the Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) Sea Transport Policy.

Pro-poor economic research in six provinces of the Mekong Delta region with a focus on women and marginalized groups; Formulating recommendations on regional strategies and practical local solutions to generate income and employment opportunities for the target groups; Regional workshop to disseminate findings and a position paper on new patterns of poverty to the policymakers; Publishing and disseminating the final report to the public. Study to develop a comprehensive rural public service index in Vietnam involving: in-depth research to map out a comprehensive picture of current rural public services, developing a set of indicators/indices and measurement methods for public service quality assessment and constructing a comprehensive rural public service index based on developed indicators and indices and pilot test in 3-4 provinces.

Scoping study, commissioned to a consultant, for an index at the district level that focuses on governance issues affecting farmers and growers.

Producing a report on the background, current development, and policy recommendations for future improvement on the public notification and complaint system being instituted in the Community Driven Development program.

Technical assistance for Infrastructure Diagnostics and Strategy.

Holding the "Balochistan Economic Development Forum" to provide stakeholders a common platform to analyze provincial economic issues and opportunities in order to contribute to planning for economic development of the province.

Research to map out best practices in transparency and access to information to be formulated into targeted technical assistance packages; Organizing provincial workshops to deliver the targeted assistance packages to local governments and disseminating best practices to support reforms in other localities; Developing a web-based business survey to regularly capture the state of the economy, business environment, and provide a forecast of economic outlook; Conducting dissemination and outreaching activities based on survey results to foster public-private consultation and partnership in policy formulation and economic development.

Workshops with the business community to change urban council by-laws to improve the business environment.

Grant scheme for rebuilding small businesses that were damaged by the tsunami.

Development of a new town plan for Anuradhapura with the business community and civil society; Workshop for district chambers of commerce to discuss ways to improve the business environment with local government.

Provincial Business Environment Scorecard follow-up research in Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, and Kampot to identify practical ways to improve identified weaknesses in provincial governance; Organization of inauguration ceremonies of licensing registration boards in Seam Reap, Sihanoukville, Svay Rieng, Kandal, Battambang, and Phnom Penh; Increasing access to information on laws/regulations and policy changes relating to business operations and licensing; Engaging the public sector in promoting transparency and accountability in services to micro, small, and medium enterprises at the provincial level.

Workshop on how conflict is affecting the business environment for chambers of commerce and trade associations.

Survey on the business environment and human resources among district chambers of commerce and trade associations; workshops on entrepreneurship.

Support for the Hambantota Navodya Exhibition and Trade Fair 2008 and entrepreneurship awards.

Establishing herders’ economic associations to facilitate easier access to technical and market information and improved grassland management options for participating herders in two pilot counties in Inner Mongolia.

Strengthening the private sector in rural Bangladesh by enhancing the capacity of business associations (samities) to represent member interests and to more effectively engage with public agencies and officials; Pilot study on the feasibility of regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) in Bangladesh.

Study on the business environment in the Eastern Province.

Support for live televised discussion between economic policy-makers, business leaders and a studio audience on food security and the rising cost of living.

National survey on voter education issues.

Independent assessment of the overall impact of Microsoft’s Community Technology Learning in China; Technical assistance involving a pre-training needs assessment and a post-training evaluation of training programs offered at two newly established Community Technology Learning Centers in Guangdong Province.

Research project on the notification and complaint system in the Community-Driven Development Program that aims to reduce poverty and improve rural livelihoods in China.

Research study in Bangladesh to explore two of the main tenets of competitiveness, efficiency, and productivity in the garment sector from the point of view of: international garment and textiles buyers; government officials; garment factory owners; garment factory middle managers; and garment factory workers.

KATALYST local economic governance program to strengthen the private sector in rural Bangladesh by enhancing the capacity of business associations (samities) to represent member interests and to more effectively engage with public agencies and officials.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Small business recapitalization program to provide grants to small business owners to
strengthen their businesses.

Research, policy studies, and public discussions on the electric power sector.

Research, policy studies, and public discussions on property rights.

Assistance to the Ministry of Home Affairs in drafting the Ministerial Decree on One Stop Shops (OSS) and drafting OSS guidelines for local governments. Technical assistance at the national level has provided guidelines that all districts and cities can use, enhancing the replication of OSS in districts and cities that have not received technical assistance from donor organizations. Completion of a study on government procurement processes. This study provides insights into the role of corruption in procurement and how this problem is currently being tackled by local governments in Indonesia, while also examining the role the Foundation can play in procurement reform.

Small business recapitalization program to provide grants to small business owners to
strengthen their businesses; Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in
the Philippines.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Organization of the Provincial Round Table series, aimed at providing a policy dialogue
forum for district/city governments, provincial governments, and local businesses. The
objective of the dialogue series is to facilitate communication between provincial and
district/city governments on investment climate issues.

Support for “Strengthening the capacity of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in
Advocacy,” an analysis of the demand for business environment information and development of information boards.

Dissemination of the results of the Provincial Business Environment Scorecard to policy
makers; Series of four workshops to be held in 2008 on "The Role of the Cambodian Parliament in Economic Reforms for an Improved Business Environment."

Development of a baseline survey for the One Stop Shop (OSS) program; Methodology for
mapping local business regulations for the OSS and Regulatory Impact Assessment programs. The baseline data allows the Foundation to measure progress and outputs resulting from technical assistance in various sites in Indonesia.

Technical and logistical support for activities within the Maritime and Infrastructure components.

Research, policy studies, and public discussions on air transport; Support to conduct interviews of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) organizations based in Hongkong.

Support for the participation in the Air and Space Law Workshop and Contemporary Issues in Air and Space Law Conference in Macau.

Support for participation in the Low Cost Carrier Congress conference in Singapore; Support  for participation in the Asia Pacific Aviation Summit in Australia; Support for participation in the Air and Space Law Workshop and Contemporary Issues in Air and Space Law Conference in Macau.

This study explores two of the main tenets of "competitiveness," efficiency and productivity, in the garment sector from the point of view of four key players: (a) international garment and textiles buyers, (b) government officials, (c) factory owners, and (d) factory workers.  The study shall help clarify the following: (1) How do each of these players define competitiveness? (2) Is there a disconnect in their perceptions about competitiveness?, and (3) How do these divergent perceptions affect decisions about investment?.

Development of a tourism plan for Kurunegala District; Preparation of maps of physical and
social assets for improved local government planning.

Support for a community participation pilot project--implemented in cooperation with the
Nanhai Environmental Protection Bureau, selected electroplating enterprises, and community leaders in Nanhai--with the goal of reducing the quantity of copper, nickel, chrome and other heavy metals discharged to the Pearl River; study tour to the Philippines to observe community participation in environmental protection programs; study tour of electroplating enterprises in Guangdong to observe best practices in clean production.

Support to enhance economic and social opportunities for migrant workers in Beijing by
developing a new migrant workers asset-building education model with a focus on establishing and developing small businesses through a “Social Innovation Fund.”

Assessment report on information technology (IT) opportunities for One Stop Shops (OSS) in Yogyakarta; Development and installation of an IT system for an OSS in Bantul, Yogyakarta. The IT system will further expedite business license application processing and ease
tracking by applicants, leading to increased transparency and efficiency in business
licensing in Indonesia.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Participation of Hambantota Chamber President in the World Chamber Congress in Istanbul,
Turkey.

Bandung Trust Advisory Group (Btrust); Center for Micro and Small Enterprise Dynamic (CEMSED); Rural Technological Development Institute (LPTP) Assistance for the provincial governments of West Java, Central Java, and North Sulawesi to develop One Stop Shop (OSS) monitoring tools and to establish provincial OSS. Technical assistance at the provincial level will complement the development of OSS at the district and city levels by providing a tool for monitoring and comparison, and for all districts and cities to share their experiences in areas of business license simplification and deregulation.

Establishment of integrated Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centers for SME associations (Forda UKM) in the District of Maros and the City of Manado in Sulawesi. These information centers provide business information for entrepreneurs, help to develop networks, and act as capacity-building and resource management tools for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Implementation of a survey on domestic transportation in Indonesia which tracks
infrastructure cost components, the regulatory environment, and the cost of road charges for
the trucking industry in Indonesia.  This study will inform the Foundation’s future
programming in the areas of regulatory reform and anti-corruption initiatives.

Support for development of national policy for enterprise development.

Conduct in-depth research of the economic capacity and potential of the Mekong delta region; Formulate recommendations on regional strategies as well as practical local solutions to generate income and employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups in the region;
Disseminate findings to policy makers and the wider public via the Internet and media
outlets. 

Conduct series of demand-driven provincial reform activities in Tay Ninh and Hai Duong
provinces to improve provincial economic governance (i.e. development of a business portal, compilation of tax registration and declaration manuals for SMEs); Capacity building for provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Centers and organization of policy dialogues with provincial leaderships to develop a broader reform agenda.

Research project to determine the impact of the National Competitiveness Council’s Action Agenda on the Philippine ranking in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index.

Support for development of national policy for enterprise development.

Seminar series and talk shows to encourage women in Sulawesi to register their businesses;
Improvement of the organizational and advocacy capacity of SME associations, including the
women’s small business association in Sulawesi. Increased formalization allows women’s
businesses to access credit and markets.

Akademika; Association for the Advancement of Small Business (PUPUK Surabaya); Bandung Trust Advisory Group (Btrust); BITRA Foundation Indonesia; Center for Micro and Small Enterprise Dynamic (CEMSED); Center for Regional Studies and Information (PATTIRO Malang); Center for Regional Studies and Information (PATTIRO Pekalongan); Center for Socio-Cultural and Economic Studies (PKSBE); Daya Prosumen Mandiri (DPM); Gorontalo Development Analysis Institute (LP2G); Just and Prosperous Foundation (YAS); Rural Technological Development Institute (LPTP); Syiah Kuala University (UNSYIAH)

Establishment and improvement of One Stop Shop (OSS) business licensing centers in 31 districts and cities in 10 provinces. OSS licensing centers simplify, expedite, and reduce the costs of the business permit application process. Indonesia ranks lowest in the region in terms of the number of days and procedures required to start a business. Simplified procedures are expected to increase formalization rates, thereby contributing to employment and enterprise creation.

A study to obtain a better understanding of links between government policies and regulations, and changes in economic activity profile within Lalmonirhat District in Bangladesh.

Research on the impact of the security environment on business activity in the Eastern
Province.

Conduct a study on policies and incentives of the decentralization process in Vietnam with a
focus on investment law; Research and analysis of the provincial budget structure aimed at
improving understanding of the leadership incentives to undertake reform programs.

Develop Transformation in Governance and Economic Reform (TIGER) program;
Formulate a technical working group consisting of national experts in several areas (e.g.,
general governance, law, land management, public finance, planning, etc.); Develop TIGER diagnostic tools for implementation in pilot provinces taking into account international best practices.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Development of a new investment climate survey methodology, with assistance from AC Nielsen, focusing on economic governance; Implementation of this survey in half of all districts in Indonesia.  The 2007 survey will poll 12,000 businesses in 243 cities and regencies, making it one of the largest in the world. The aim of the survey is to promote competition among local governments to create a more favorable investment climate, eradicate corruption and improve public services.

Association for the Advancement of Small Business (PUPUK Surabaya); Bandung Trust Advisory Group (Btrust); Baraya Bhakti Mandiri Foundation (BBM); Center for Micro and Small Enterprise Dynamic (CEMSED); Center for Socio-Cultural and Economic Studies (PKSBE); Daya Prosumen Mandiri (DPM); Gorontalo Development Analysis Institute (LP2G); Just and Prosperous Foundation (YAS); Rural Technological Development Institute (LPTP)

Assistance with public policy reform through the introduction of Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) methods in 15 districts and cities in Indonesia. The RIA approach emphasizes public participation and cost benefit analysis in order to improve the regulatory drafting process.  Local governments can use RIA to reduce the number of illegal and distorting regulations, thus reducing the overall regulatory burden on businesses in Indonesia.

Workshop series to strengthen the parliament’s engagement in domestic economy policy-making.

Support provincial multi-sector business associations and help them to build a collective
position on issues affecting rural micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Research on “Building Partnership with the Public Sector;” and workshop entitled, “WTO
Three Years Later: An Assessment of Progress Made in Terms of Policy Reforms.”

Data collection for the 2007 Economic Governance Index, a measure of the business
environment in municipalities and urban areas of Sri Lanka.

Small business recapitalization program to provide grants to small business owners to
strengthen their businesses; Participation in a study tour of local government in the Philiippines.

Continued development of the Third Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), which
measures provincial performance in economic governance; Conduct provincial diagnostics to
analyze the strengths and weaknesses of provinces in order to improve PCI rankings.

Supported the development of the Vietnamese prviate sector to accelerate the country's transition to a market-based economy. The Foundation provided technical and managerial leadership for the Provincial Policy Reform Portfolio, under which the pioneering Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) was implemented.