The Asia Foundation

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the...

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the semi-annual corruption benchmarking survey conducted under the USAID-funded Mongolian Anti-Corruption Support (MACS) project. While the past eleven surveys probed both citizens' perceptions and actual experience of corruption at the household level, the SPEAK survey has been expanded to capture data on perceptions and knowledge of administrative practices and grand corruption. Additionally, the SPEAK survey will be complemented by the Foundation's newly introduced Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) which is designed to capture data on perceptions of corruption of business sector. Together, the surveys will provide a much broader picture of the level of corruption in Mongolia. The Sant Maral Foundation (SMF) has been The Asia Foundation's implementing partner for both the surveys.

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the...

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the semi-annual corruption benchmarking survey conducted under the USAID-funded Mongolian Anti-Corruption Support (MACS) project. While the past eleven surveys probed both citizens' perceptions and actual experience of corruption at the household level, the SPEAK survey has been expanded to capture data on perceptions and knowledge of administrative practices and grand corruption. Additionally, the SPEAK survey will be complemented by the Foundation's newly introduced Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) which is designed to capture data on perceptions of corruption of business sector. Together, the surveys will provide a much broader picture of the level of corruption in Mongolia. The Sant Maral Foundation (SMF) has been The Asia Foundation's implementing partner for both the surveys.

The Mongolian economy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Sustained economic growth is boosting gross domestic product (GDP), supporting job creation, reducing poverty levels, and allowing the economy to expand into new...

The Mongolian economy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Sustained economic growth is boosting gross domestic product (GDP), supporting job creation, reducing poverty levels, and allowing the economy to expand into new fields. Despite these impressive successes, there have been persistent reports in the media about the existence of corrupt practices. These reports often relate to government employees asking businessmen for non-stipulated fees in return for services, for example, to process or expedite obtaining permits and documents, such as licenses, needed by business to operate. Until now, there has been no data about the pervasiveness of corrupt practices affecting business-government relations in Mongolia. The Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) was designed to obtain a picture of the extent of corruption, based on the experience of members of the business community. Interviewing representatives of small, medium, and large sized business enterprises, this study captures the similarities and differences companies face in relation to corrupt practices, breaking down the findings by sector.

Mongolia's past two decades of rapid political, economic, and social change have resulted in a strong democratic foundation and high rates of mineral-driven economic growth. However, Mongolia still faces many governance challenges, including...

Mongolia's past two decades of rapid political, economic, and social change have resulted in a strong democratic foundation and high rates of mineral-driven economic growth. However, Mongolia still faces many governance challenges, including weak administrative processes, a lack of transparency and accountability, and corruption. Conflicts of interest are common as politics and economic interests are often intertwined.

In July 2011, Mongolia assumed the Presidency of the Community of Democracies (CoD) from Lithuania. Mongolia's priorities for its two-year term include education for democracy, strengthening regional cooperation, exchange of experiences,...

In July 2011, Mongolia assumed the Presidency of the Community of Democracies (CoD) from Lithuania. Mongolia's priorities for its two-year term include education for democracy, strengthening regional cooperation, exchange of experiences, collaboration with civil society, advancing women's empowerment and countering corruption. The Asia Foundation is supporting Mongolia in its efforts to make the CoD a more operational and action-oriented body.

As Mongolia moves into a new phase of its development, driven predominantly by rapid economic growth in the extractive industries, it faces a number of significant challenges. Rapid rates of urbanization are leading to an increasingly...

As Mongolia moves into a new phase of its development, driven predominantly by rapid economic growth in the extractive industries, it faces a number of significant challenges. Rapid rates of urbanization are leading to an increasingly overwhelming concentration of the population in urban centers, especially Ulaanbaatar.  As a result of this rapid population growth, more than half the area of Ulaanbaatar today consists of unplanned settlements called ger districts, which house more than half of the city's residents and nearly 25 percent of Mongolia's total population. The Asia Foundation has been working to support improvements in the ger districts for a number of years.

Mongolia is experiencing unprecedented growth and change, fueled by revenues from mining. Although the country's transition to democracy has been relatively smooth, citizen satisfaction is low. The concentration of economic opportunity in the...

Mongolia is experiencing unprecedented growth and change, fueled by revenues from mining. Although the country's transition to democracy has been relatively smooth, citizen satisfaction is low. The concentration of economic opportunity in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, has created a huge urban migration, with nearly 50 percent of Mongolians now living in the capital. Meeting the needs of recent arrivals in Ulaanbaatar and creating economic opportunities in other regional cities will be important if Mongolia is to deliver sustainable, broad-based improvements in the welfare of its population. The government of Mongolia is committed to fostering more responsive and capable local governments to improve citizen satisfaction, recognizing that decentralization often contributes to better development outcomes. Policymakers, led by the office of the president, are therefore pursuing an ambitious agenda to revive Mongolia's decentralization process.

The Mongolian economy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Sustained economic growth is boosting gross domestic product (GDP), supporting job creation, reducing poverty levels, and allowing the economy to expand into new fields. Despite these...

The Mongolian economy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Sustained economic growth is boosting gross domestic product (GDP), supporting job creation, reducing poverty levels, and allowing the economy to expand into new fields. Despite these impressive successes, there have been persistent reports in the media about the existence of corrupt practices. These reports often relate to government employees asking businessmen for non-stipulated fees in return for services, for example, to process or expedite obtaining permits and documents, such as licenses, needed by business to operate. Until now, there has been no data about the pervasiveness of corrupt practices affecting business-government relations in Mongolia. The Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) was designed to obtain a picture of the extent of corruption, based on the experience of members of the business community. Interviewing representatives of small, medium, and large sized business enterprises, this study captures the similarities and differences companies face in relation to corrupt practices, breaking down the findings by sector.

For more than a decade, The Asia Foundation's Local and Economic Governance programs have supported broad-based economic development and reform in Indonesia, working with local business, government, and civil society to enhance their roles and...

For more than a decade, The Asia Foundation's Local and Economic Governance programs have supported broad-based economic development and reform in Indonesia, working with local business, government, and civil society to enhance their roles and effectiveness in policy reform and to promote business-friendly policies. Partnering with an extensive network of nongovernmental organizations, business associations, academics, community groups, and government agencies, the Foundation supports initiatives to improve the business environment through policy and institutional reform and develop pro-poor and gender-sensitive local policies and budgets.

For more than a decade, The Asia Foundation's Local and Economic Governance programs have supported broad-based economic development and reform in Indonesia, working with local business, government, and civil society to enhance their roles and...

For more than a decade, The Asia Foundation's Local and Economic Governance programs have supported broad-based economic development and reform in Indonesia, working with local business, government, and civil society to enhance their roles and effectiveness in policy reform and to promote business-friendly policies. Partnering with an extensive network of nongovernmental organizations, business associations, academics, community groups, and government agencies, the Foundation supports initiatives to improve the business environment through policy and institutional reform and develop pro-poor and gender-sensitive local policies and budgets.

The Asia Foundation's justice sector programs have supported Indonesian efforts to strengthen legal institutions, improve legal education, and drive reform for more than 40 years. The Educating and Equipping Tomorrow's Justice Reformers (E2J)...

The Asia Foundation's justice sector programs have supported Indonesian efforts to strengthen legal institutions, improve legal education, and drive reform for more than 40 years. The Educating and Equipping Tomorrow's Justice Reformers (E2J) program furthers this aim. This four-year initiative, funded by USAID, is working to improve the performance of Indonesia's justice system by partnering with university law schools, civil society organizations, and formal justice institutions to provide a new generation with the knowledge, skills, opportunities, and incentives to pursue careers in public service and to contribute to justice sector reform.

The Asia Foundation's justice sector programs have supported Indonesian efforts to strengthen legal institutions, improve legal education, and drive reform for more than 40 years. The Educating and Equipping Tomorrow's Justice Reformers (E2J)...

The Asia Foundation's justice sector programs have supported Indonesian efforts to strengthen legal institutions, improve legal education, and drive reform for more than 40 years. The Educating and Equipping Tomorrow's Justice Reformers (E2J) program furthers this aim. This four-year initiative, funded by USAID, is working to improve the performance of Indonesia's justice system by partnering with university law schools, civil society organizations, and formal justice institutions to provide a new generation with the knowledge, skills, opportunities, and incentives to pursue careers in public service and to contribute to justice sector reform.

This report explores the impacts of Nepal's Local Self-Governance Act 1999 and the evolution of local governance in Nepal and its effect on the health and education sectors. It includes recommendantions for practical and policy interventions....

This report explores the impacts of Nepal's Local Self-Governance Act 1999 and the evolution of local governance in Nepal and its effect on the health and education sectors. It includes recommendantions for practical and policy interventions. It was prepared by The Asia Foundation Nepal for AusAID.

Youth constitutes a large segment, 43 percent, of the total population in Malaysia. The diverse and numerous roles that they play in the country's political, social and economic landscapes underline the fact that they are a critical...

Youth constitutes a large segment, 43 percent, of the total population in Malaysia. The diverse and numerous roles that they play in the country's political, social and economic landscapes underline the fact that they are a critical demographic group to engage. In April 2012, The Asia Foundation conducted its fourth nationwide survey of Malaysian youth opinion as part of the Foundation's continuing efforts to enhance public engagement and innovative research in support of improving governance, civil society, economic progress, and sustainable development in Malaysia. Over 2,100 youth across all states and federal territories in Malaysia were engaged in the comprehensive survey. The survey provides a window into the attitudes, concerns and practices of young Malaysians on a range of contemporary political, social and economic issues.

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.

Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, is home to the country's largest concentration of Muslims. The region suffers from poor infrastructure, poverty, and violence that has claimed more than 120,000 lives in the last four decades. The...

Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, is home to the country's largest concentration of Muslims. The region suffers from poor infrastructure, poverty, and violence that has claimed more than 120,000 lives in the last four decades. The violence and rebellion derive from internal Christian migrations to the region, sectarian clashes, war against Muslim/Islam separatist insurgents, clan feuds, and unfulfilled hopes of peace and economic prosperity.

Findings from The Asia Foundation's eighth survey in Afghanistan - the broadest public opinion poll in the country of 6,290 Afghan citizens across all 34 provinces.

View an e-reader version of the

Findings from The Asia Foundation's eighth survey in Afghanistan - the broadest public opinion poll in the country of 6,290 Afghan citizens across all 34 provinces.

View an e-reader version of the Survey here.

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.