The Asia Foundation

Occasional Paper No. 8, November 2011

A brief paper that examines the institutional and programmatic challenges involved in implementing rigorous impact evaluation through the experience of The Asia Foundation.

This paper was...

Occasional Paper No. 8, November 2011

A brief paper that examines the institutional and programmatic challenges involved in implementing rigorous impact evaluation through the experience of The Asia Foundation.

This paper was also included in the International Conference on U.S.-Korea Dialogue on Strategies for Effective Development Cooperation held on October 17-18, 2011 in Seoul, Korea.

Occasional Paper No. 9, December 2011

A brief paper that examines the development of the Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL) over the last decade, which has been a core focus of the international community as well as...

Occasional Paper No. 9, December 2011

A brief paper that examines the development of the Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL) over the last decade, which has been a core focus of the international community as well as successive national governments. As capacity has been developed at both the individual and organizational levels, the need for the PNTL to develop into a community oriented police service has been stated regularly. Despite this prominence in international and national rhetoric on police development, demonstrable progress toward making community policing a cornerstone of policing in Timor-Leste has been very limited. The political leadership of Timor-Leste is very focused on the issues around the police and the need for police reform. As a vague ambition rather than an immediate priority, community policing is chronically under-resourced, with the most recent FY12 budget leaving out its funds for training completely.

Occasional Paper No. 10, January 2012

This paper explores the use of participatory action research as a method to deepen the practice of mediation at the village level in rural Nepal. Mediation, initially introduced with a strong...

Occasional Paper No. 10, January 2012

This paper explores the use of participatory action research as a method to deepen the practice of mediation at the village level in rural Nepal. Mediation, initially introduced with a strong Western orientation, has evolved through practice and the response to daily conflict during and after the civil war. At its inception, the program was framed as an "access to justice" initiative. Conducted with district and village-level mediators and trainers, the research yielded important insights into how and why mediation practices were effective, and led to significant changes in training materials and approach.

A report on findings from the implementation of the Support for Local Governance, Elections, and Civil Society in Timor Leste (GEC) project funded by USAID. The GEC project addressed capacity building efforts of 148 suco councils, or...

A report on findings from the implementation of the Support for Local Governance, Elections, and Civil Society in Timor Leste (GEC) project funded by USAID. The GEC project addressed capacity building efforts of 148 suco councils, or village-level government units of Timor-Leste, in the four districts of Oecusse, Bobonaro, Ainaro, and Baucau over a period of three years.

Occasional Paper No. 13, April 2012

This paper begins with descriptions of some of the critical challenges to democratization in Bangladesh. While electoral challenges are included, the paper seeks to look beyond elections and describe...

Occasional Paper No. 13, April 2012

This paper begins with descriptions of some of the critical challenges to democratization in Bangladesh. While electoral challenges are included, the paper seeks to look beyond elections and describe other factors that can have a profound impact on the quality and quantity of democracy experienced by the average person. The second section examines potential approaches to addressing these challenges.

Occasional Paper No. 11, April 2012

Formal and Informal Governance in Afghanistan is one of a series of analytical papers on The Asia Foundation's recently released public-opinion survey, Afghanistan in 2011: A Survey of...

The Malaysia Business Environment Index (BEI) Pilot Study 2012 is the first survey that investigates firms' perceptions about the business environment at the district level. Utilizing data collected from 635 small and medium-sized firms, the...

The Malaysia Business Environment Index (BEI) Pilot Study 2012 is the first survey that investigates firms' perceptions about the business environment at the district level. Utilizing data collected from 635 small and medium-sized firms, the BEI is a composite of nine sub-indices which measure the business environment in 11 city and municipal districts across six states in peninsula Malaysia, and ranks them against each other based on a 100-point scale. The nine sub-indices have been structured to capture the key elements of the local business environment that can be influenced by district regulations or district implementation of federal and state policies.

Occasional Paper No. 12, May 2012

This paper introduces development entrepreneurship, a model to assist development agencies and practitioners introduce transformative institutional change that significantly improves the lives of...

Occasional Paper No. 12, May 2012

This paper introduces development entrepreneurship, a model to assist development agencies and practitioners introduce transformative institutional change that significantly improves the lives of millions of people. Development entrepreneurship combines the technical and political dimensions of reform to uncover the principles to finding "technically sound, politically possible" reforms.

(In Vietnamese) The "Agricultural Cooperatives Manual" is a product of an Asia Foundation project to enhance capacity of rural cooperatives to respond effectively to the economic and development needs of their communities conducted between...

(In Vietnamese) The "Agricultural Cooperatives Manual" is a product of an Asia Foundation project to enhance capacity of rural cooperatives to respond effectively to the economic and development needs of their communities conducted between 2010 and 2012. The manual includes an analysis of Vietnam's legal documents on cooperatives, development of agricultural cooperatives in Vietnam, and international models of agricultural cooperatives.

Occasional Paper No. 14, June 2012

The Prospects of Economic Development in Afghanistan is one of a series of analytical papers on The Asia Foundation's recently released public-opinion survey, Afghanistan in 2011: A Survey of the...

Occasional Paper No. 14, June 2012

The Prospects of Economic Development in Afghanistan is one of a series of analytical papers on The Asia Foundation's recently released public-opinion survey, Afghanistan in 2011: A Survey of the Afghan People. The series of essays provide detailed analysis of the survey data on the opinions and perceptions of Afghans toward government, public policy, democracy, and political and social change as interpreted by specialists who have in-depth knowledge of the region. This paper provides detailed analysis of the survey data on economic development and the role of government in Afghanistan.

A comparative research project that provides an overview of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Vietnam. The research was carried out in Vietnam's two major metropolitan areas, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which are the bases for the majority...

A comparative research project that provides an overview of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Vietnam. The research was carried out in Vietnam's two major metropolitan areas, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which are the bases for the majority of Vietnamese CSOs. The research team selected fifty representative CSOs from each city, interviewing leaders of those organizations on multiple aspects of civil society operation and development. The findings focus on civil society governance, programmatic focus, operational approaches, forms of engagement with other sectors such as businesses and government, networking, and funding.

Occasional Paper No. 17, October 2012

China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the world and faces both domestic and international pressure to curb its emissions and contribution to climate change. Recognizing its role...

Occasional Paper No. 17, October 2012

China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the world and faces both domestic and international pressure to curb its emissions and contribution to climate change. Recognizing its role and potential for being a leader in addressing climate change, China has developed various policies and measures to address the issue. This paper presents a case study from The Asia Foundation-CEEPR project in an attempt to answer the following questions: What are the challenges to engage SMEs in the low carbon transition process in China, and what hurdles exist？ What are the opportunities in the low carbon transition, and what incentives might be put in place to promote the transition?

Occasional Paper No. 18, October 2012

Thailand's southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and the four Malay-speaking districts in Songkhla province have a combined population of about 2 million people, of whom more than...

Occasional Paper No. 18, October 2012

Thailand's southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and the four Malay-speaking districts in Songkhla province have a combined population of about 2 million people, of whom more than 1.5 million are Malay Muslims. This distinctive ethnic-religious group has a history and identity that predates the imposition of centralized rule of the Thais in the early 20th century and was once part of the independent Sultanate of Patani. Thailand's nation-state constructs, along with its historical narrative and the centralized structure of the Thai state agencies, have at various times been both unable and unwilling to accommodate their unique Malay identity and historical narrative. Adding to their sense of alienation is the fact that the restive region, commonly referred to as the Deep South, is one of the most neglected regions in the country. This paper investigates the role of civil societies in Thailand's Deep South.

This research examines communitiesʼ experiences of two different decentralized development programs in Timor-Leste: the Programa Dezenvolvimentu Lokal (PDL), and the Pakote Dezenvolvimentu Desentrilizadu (PDD). Using...

This research examines communitiesʼ experiences of two different decentralized development programs in Timor-Leste: the Programa Dezenvolvimentu Lokal (PDL), and the Pakote Dezenvolvimentu Desentrilizadu (PDD). Using these two programs as a lens for comparative analysis, the overall aim of this research is to identify and examine broader issues surrounding the implementation of decentralised development in Timorese communities, and to draw lessons for sustainable, community-level development in the future. This research also aims to make a substantive contribution to planning for the Planu Nasional Dezenvolvimentu Suku (PNDS), which will be introduced throughout Timorese communities from 2013.

Water governance throughout South Asia has long been dominated by technical perspectives from civil engineering, economics, and international law. Across the region, state actors, scientists, and technocrats have monopolized policy formulation...

Water governance throughout South Asia has long been dominated by technical perspectives from civil engineering, economics, and international law. Across the region, state actors, scientists, and technocrats have monopolized policy formulation and implementation providing limited space for the expression of legitimate civil society voices and stakeholder interests. In this largely state driven discourse, broader social and ecological perspectives have been underrepresented. Bringing the discourse on water use, sharing, and management closer to affected communities and stakeholders can help to reduce environmental degradation and thereby the potential for conflict.

In May 2012, with support from the Skoll Global Threats Fund, The Asia Foundation (TAF) in partnership with civil society organizations in India and Bangladesh began a political economy analysis of the Teesta River Basin. To try and unpack the interests around water governance in the Teesta Basin, the analysis sought to identify and map key actors and stakeholders in the basin, their incentives, relative stakes, and their ability to influence water governance decisions in the basin. The analysis highlights five distinct political economy features of water negotiations and governance in the Teesta River Basin: Seeing like a state; legitimate stakeholders and actors excluded from the table; legitimate interests excluded from the table; weak articulation of stakeholder interests; and, state control of data and information.