The Asia Foundation

A Case Study of Bangladesh

Occasional Paper No. 1, July 2010

In the midst of the recent financial and economic crisis, factory owners in Bangladesh showed remarkable confidence in the future of their industry in Bangladesh....

A Case Study of Bangladesh

Occasional Paper No. 1, July 2010

In the midst of the recent financial and economic crisis, factory owners in Bangladesh showed remarkable confidence in the future of their industry in Bangladesh. But, if the country wants to expand and remain competitive, this paper finds, it will need to make investments in human capital and technology, rather than just reduce input costs. The paper offers policy recommendations to improve efficiency at the factory level and suggests reforms to the business environment that could provide an overall boost to the economy as a whole. Research for this paper included extensive interviews with factory workers and government officials, and seven focus-group discussions with 33 factory workers.

Dr. Sanchita Banerjee Saxena, Associate Director, Center for South Asia Studies, University of California, Berkeley, Véronique Salze-Lozac'h, Regional Director for Economic Programs, The Asia Foundation

The 2008 PCI survey is the largest and most comprehensive assessment and ranking of the performance of provincial governments based on the views expressed by over 7,820 domestic entrepreneurs and managers from firms across Vietnam’s 64...

The 2008 PCI survey is the largest and most comprehensive assessment and ranking of the performance of provincial governments based on the views expressed by over 7,820 domestic entrepreneurs and managers from firms across Vietnam’s 64 provinces. Every year, this highly anticipated survey gauges the impact of economic and administrative reforms at both the provincial and national levels and guides the decisions of Vietnam’s policymakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs.

This guide has been developed to help civil society groups understand and analyze government budgets as a first step towards engaging in such dialogue. The guide can be used to facilitate budget literacy trainings and to help civil society...

This guide has been developed to help civil society groups understand and analyze government budgets as a first step towards engaging in such dialogue. The guide can be used to facilitate budget literacy trainings and to help civil society organizations engage in budget analysis on their own following training. It may also be useful to new parliamentarians, who often are not given formal budget training, despite their responsibility to enact the budget in most countries. While basic information on budgets is covered, this guide has been specifically modified for consideration of the tehsil level budget in Pakistan. This manual does not cover analysis of other local government budgets (such as union or district), nor does it include analysis of provincial and national budgets.

Occasional Paper No. 5, March 2011

A review of the basic theoretical and programmatic rationale for the series of Economic Governance Indices (EGIs) conducted by The Asia Foundation in countries throughout South and Southeast Asia,...

Occasional Paper No. 5, March 2011

A review of the basic theoretical and programmatic rationale for the series of Economic Governance Indices (EGIs) conducted by The Asia Foundation in countries throughout South and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

(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.

Back Matter of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better...

Back Matter of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

A Measure of Economic Governance at the District Level (June 2010)

The Asia Foundation releases a pioneering survey ranking the business-friendliness in 19 districts in Bangladesh. 3,800 firms – many of them micro, small, and...

A Measure of Economic Governance at the District Level (June 2010)

The Asia Foundation releases a pioneering survey ranking the business-friendliness in 19 districts in Bangladesh. 3,800 firms – many of them micro, small, and medium-sized businesses – were polled on their perceptions of the local business environment, such as entry costs, transparency, informal charges, tax administration, and land security.

Since its inception in 2005, the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has been a critical tool for measuring and assessing the standards of economic governance in Vietnam's 64 provinces from the perspective of private sector...

Since its inception in 2005, the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has been a critical tool for measuring and assessing the standards of economic governance in Vietnam's 64 provinces from the perspective of private sector businesses. However, while the PCI has been influential in identifying issues that impact the enabling environment for private sector development, it cannot provide detailed feedback on what provincial governments can actually do to improve economic governance, and thereby support private sector development. In repeated conversations with provincial and national-level policy-makers, The Foundation has found that policy-makers are increasingly aware that there are governance problems at the provincial-level, but do not have the research and technical support to understand what specific reforms are most effective in improving the governance environment. The primary objective of the research is to map best practices in transparency/access to information that can be formulated into targeted technical assistance packages. The research includes both quantitative analysis of the PCI dataset and qualitative analysis of the case studies.

Since its inception in 2005, the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has been a critical tool for measuring and assessing the standards of economic governance in Vietnam's 64 provinces from the perspective of private sector...

Since its inception in 2005, the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has been a critical tool for measuring and assessing the standards of economic governance in Vietnam's 64 provinces from the perspective of private sector businesses. However, while the PCI has been influential in identifying issues that impact the enabling environment for private sector development, it cannot provide detailed feedback on what provincial governments can actually do to improve economic governance, and thereby support private sector development. In repeated conversations with provincial and national-level policy-makers, The Foundation has found that policy-makers are increasingly aware that there are governance problems at the provincial-level, but do not have the research and technical support to understand what specific reforms are most effective in improving the governance environment. The primary objective of the research is to map best practices in transparency/access to information that can be formulated into targeted technical assistance packages. The research includes both quantitative analysis of the PCI dataset and qualitative analysis of the case studies.

The Asia Foundation, the Mongolia Women’s Farmer Association (MWFA), local officials and citizens of the Bayanzurkh District inaugurated a poultry and vegetable farming training center on August 3rd. The center seeks to increase...

The Asia Foundation, the Mongolia Women’s Farmer Association (MWFA), local officials and citizens of the Bayanzurkh District inaugurated a poultry and vegetable farming training center on August 3rd. The center seeks to increase household incomes in this Ulaanbaatar district, and in surrounding communities.

Since 1999, The Asia Foundation has supported initiatives to simplify business licensing at the local level.Initially, programs supported local governments to establish agencies that integrated the "front office" receipt of licensing...

Since 1999, The Asia Foundation has supported initiatives to simplify business licensing at the local level.Initially, programs supported local governments to establish agencies that integrated the "front office" receipt of licensing applications, but kept "back office" processing of permits decentralized across various other agencies. While this resulted in some improvements, the impact of these "One- Roof One-Stop Shop" (OSS) licensing reforms remained limited. The Foundation supports reforms that have resulted in "One-Door" OSS, in which both front office and back office authorities are united in a single location.

Since 1999, The Asia Foundation has supported initiatives to simplify business licensing at the local level.Initially, programs supported local governments to establish agencies that integrated the "front office" receipt of licensing...

Since 1999, The Asia Foundation has supported initiatives to simplify business licensing at the local level.Initially, programs supported local governments to establish agencies that integrated the "front office" receipt of licensing applications, but kept "back office" processing of permits decentralized across various other agencies. While this resulted in some improvements, the impact of these "One- Roof One-Stop Shop" (OSS) licensing reforms remained limited. The Foundation supports reforms that have resulted in "One-Door" OSS, in which both front office and back office authorities are united in a single location.

Commitment is growing among small Cambodian business owners to strengthen their own network as well as their relationship with the public sector, as demonstrated by the large turnout and vigorous participation of business owners who came...

Commitment is growing among small Cambodian business owners to strengthen their own network as well as their relationship with the public sector, as demonstrated by the large turnout and vigorous participation of business owners who came together for the cross-provincial meeting at the Sovana Phum Hotel in Kampong Chhnang on March, 28, 2007.

Chapter One of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better...

Chapter One of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Chapter Ten of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better...

Chapter Ten of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Chapter Two of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better...

Chapter Two of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Chapter Three of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a...

Chapter Three of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Chapter Four of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a...

Chapter Four of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Chapter Five of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a...

Chapter Five of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Chapter Six of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better...

Chapter Six of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Chapter Seven of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a...

Chapter Seven of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Chapter Eight of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a...

Chapter Eight of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Chapter Nine of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a...

Chapter Nine of Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines, a volume of case studies on Philippine economic policy reform that contributes to the discourse on institutional change to create a better understanding of how human actors engender change.

This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Indonesia's mass-based Muslim organizations are increasingly at the forefront of new policy reform efforts to reduce poverty and improve governance at the city, district and provincial levels. The Asia Foundation has supported these efforts in...

Indonesia's mass-based Muslim organizations are increasingly at the forefront of new policy reform efforts to reduce poverty and improve governance at the city, district and provincial levels. The Asia Foundation has supported these efforts in a concerted fashion through partnerships with Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama, and highly skilled technical advocacy and governance reform NGOs. This program builds on existing networks of Indonesian mass-based Muslim organizations by bringing the influence and credibility of Islamic organizations together with the technical advocacy experience of economic reform groups.

Providing citizens access to economic information, which is relevant to decisionmaking that affects their lives, will yield better and more representative policy, and will underscore other government goals associated with transparency and good...

Providing citizens access to economic information, which is relevant to decisionmaking that affects their lives, will yield better and more representative policy, and will underscore other government goals associated with transparency and good governance. Through the USAID Economic Policy Reform and Competitiveness Project, The Asia Foundation is assisting the Government of Mongolia to communicate new economic policies to targeted groups and the public, in order to build a broad constituency that will fuel economic growth and job creation.