The Asia Foundation

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.

Since the 1990s, The Asia Foundation has supported programs aimed at accelerating the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) by civil society, government, and the private sector. Certain advances in ICT – such as the...

Since the 1990s, The Asia Foundation has supported programs aimed at accelerating the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) by civil society, government, and the private sector. Certain advances in ICT – such as the pervasive adoption of mobile telephones and the rapid spread of internet connectivity – have dramatically increased the speed of information processing, as well as the ease, frequency, and quality of communications in the developing world.

While much of Asia is developing rapidly, several countries and subnational regions remain caught in protracted cycles of conflict and fragility, leading to under-development, poor governance and instability. State-society relations in these...

While much of Asia is developing rapidly, several countries and subnational regions remain caught in protracted cycles of conflict and fragility, leading to under-development, poor governance and instability. State-society relations in these environments are often troubled, and have frequently become the primary cause of prolonged conflict and fragility. Many citizens in conflict-affected and fragile regions have come to see their government as distant, unresponsive, inaccessible, or absent altogether. When citizens perceive states as illegitimate, many will simply avoid contact with their governments, and in some cases support violent challenges to state authority.

While much of Asia is developing rapidly, some countries and subnational regions remain caught in protracted cycles of conflict and fragility, leading to under-development, poor governance and instability. State-society relations in these...

While much of Asia is developing rapidly, some countries and subnational regions remain caught in protracted cycles of conflict and fragility, leading to under-development, poor governance and instability. State-society relations in these environments are often troubled, and have frequently become the primary cause of prolonged conflict and fragility. Many citizens in conflict-affected and fragile regions have come to see their government as distant, unresponsive, inaccessible, or absent altogether. When citizens perceive states as illegitimate, many will simply avoid contact with their governments, and in some cases support violent challenges to state authority.

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. 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.

The Timor-Leste Legal Education Project is a broad-based partnership between The Asia Foundation and Stanford Law School that works closely with local institutions to strenthen legal education in Timor-Leste. The project's goal is to...

The Timor-Leste Legal Education Project is a broad-based partnership between The Asia Foundation and Stanford Law School that works closely with local institutions to strenthen legal education in Timor-Leste. The project's goal is to institutionalize ways for local actors to positively influence the development of domestic legal education in Timor-Leste.

The Timor-Leste Legal Education Project is a broad-based partnership between The Asia Foundation and Stanford Law School that works closely with local institutions to strenthen legal education in Timor-Leste. The project's goal is to...

The Timor-Leste Legal Education Project is a broad-based partnership between The Asia Foundation and Stanford Law School that works closely with local institutions to strenthen legal education in Timor-Leste. The project's goal is to institutionalize ways for local actors to positively influence the development of domestic legal education in Timor-Leste.

A client satisfaction survey designed to take a snapshot of the Timor Leste Ministry of Finance's services through the eyes of its clients - chiefly, privately held companies - to determine areas in which services could be improved. The survey...

A client satisfaction survey designed to take a snapshot of the Timor Leste Ministry of Finance's services through the eyes of its clients - chiefly, privately held companies - to determine areas in which services could be improved. The survey focuses specifically on the procurement, customs, and tax units of the ministry.

The Government of Timor-Leste faces many challenges in providing access to justice for its citizens. Individuals’ attempts to exercise fundamental rights through traditional dispute resolution mechanisms or through the nascent formal...

The Government of Timor-Leste faces many challenges in providing access to justice for its citizens. Individuals’ attempts to exercise fundamental rights through traditional dispute resolution mechanisms or through the nascent formal justice sector often fail due to limited financial resources, low awareness of options, and geographic isolation. Through the USAID funded Access to Justice Program, The Asia Foundation aims to bridge those gaps for vulnerable groups by funding pro bono legal aid services; supporting enhanced mediation services; increasing expertise to meet the particular justice needs of women; and increasing awareness of laws and legal procedures vital to securing livelihoods for vulnerable groups.