“The Voice of The Champions” – New Journal Highlights Successes
Project Update Overview Project Background PTF Advisor and Board Member Pietronella van den Oever writes: The Journal “La Voix des Champions de l’ OAFRESS” was officially launched on Friday, July…
Will The World Bank’s Gender Strategy 2024-2030 Be Vigorously Implemented?
PTF’s Perspectives World Bank Group Gender Strategy 2024-2030: Accelerate Gender Equality to End Poverty on a Livable Planet. July 9, 2024 – After an elaborate and comprehensive process of stakeholder…
Boosting Childhood Vaccination in French-speaking Africa through Champions’ Advocacy
An innovative partnership between PTF and OAFRESS (Organisation de l’Afrique Francophone pour le Renforcement des Systemes de Sante et de Vaccination – the Francophone African Organization Supporting Healthcare and Vaccination…
Partnership for Transparency Seeks A New President
Partnership for Transparency Seeks A New President May 30, 2024 PTF, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is seeking a President. Given the range of PTF’s activities and the increasing challenges…
PTF Makes Progress in Moldova With Critical Anti-Corruption Projects
May 13, 2024: When Maia Sandu won election as President of Moldova at the end of 2020 she wrote on Facebook that she hoped the result would mark “the end…
Deploying Civil Society Experience and Skills to Implement Effective Anti-Corruption/Environmental Projects
PTF Paper Explores How Partnerships with Local CSOs Could Help Advance Integrity on Climate Finance and Action April 24, 2024: The PTF Climate and Environment team has prepared a…
Advocating for Deeper Partnerships between Civil Society Organizations and IDA grants to the Poorest Countries
PTF Calls on IDA21 To Expand Partnerships with Local CSOs to Do Better at the Country Level The full report, the 10 recommendations, and the 2 page summary can be…
Sustainable Procurement: a Smart Way to Procure Looking at the “Big Picture”
Sabine Engelhard, a Partnership for Transparency (PTF) Advisor who is a member of the PTF team working with IDIS Viitorul on the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project, has…
PTF’s Comments on the World Bank Group’s Gender Strategy 2024 – 2030: Accelerate Gender Equality for a Sustainable, Resilient, and Inclusive Future
Partnership for Transparency submitted comments on the World Bank Group’s Gender Strategy 2024 – 2030: Accelerate Gender Equality for a Sustainable, Resilient, and Inclusive Future, which are available here.
Civil Society Leaders Call on the World Bank to Ensure Anti-Corruption Plays A Key Role in its New Gender Strategy
Civil society anti-corruption leaders from more than 50 countries signed a letter to the World Bank in support of its ambitious Gender Strategy 2024 – 2030: Accelerate Gender Equality for…
PTF Fall 2023 Newsletter
The PTF Fall 2023 Newsletter is now available. Click here to read about PTF’s anti-corruption projects, partners, knowledge products, events, and team. To receive future newsletters, please subscribe here.
The World Bank’s Evolution Playbook Must Include Expanded Partnerships With Civil Society to Combat Waste, Fraud, and Corruption in the Projects and Programs It Finances
By John Clark, Vinay Bhargava, and Pierre Landell-Mills October 2023 The World Bank Group (the Bank) is embarking on an “Evolution“ strategy through which it aims “to become a ‘better…
PTF’s Local CSO Partner IDIS and the Ministry of Finance Signed a Cooperation Agreement to Improve the Transparency and Efficiency of the Public Procurement Process in Moldova
Since September 2020, Partnership for Transparency has been collaborating with the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul on the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project.…
Partnership for Transparency Calls for Strengthening Partnerships with Citizens and Civil Society Organizations in the World Bank Group Evolution for Greater Impact
Partnership for Transparency (PTF) prepared a response to the World Bank Group’s request for comments on the Evolution proposals paper. PTF’s comments focus on the roles that citizens and civil…
Launch of the Inaugural Coalition of Public Procurement Monitors in the Republic of Moldova
On June 29, 2023, a coalition of several Moldovan civil society organizations, journalists, experts, and independent monitors was launched to strengthen efforts to monitor public procurement. The coalition of public…
Partnership for Transparency Appoints New Leadership to the Board
At its May 17, 2023 meeting, the PTF Board of Directors appointed a new Board Chair, Vice Chair, and members. The new Board Chair is Nathaniel Heller. Nathaniel has extensive…
PTF Meeting with Serbian Business and Civil Society Professionals
On April 28, 2023, Partnership for Transparency (PTF) had the pleasure of welcoming a group of professionals from Serbia who were on a study tour organized by the Belgrade Open…
PTF Spring 2023 Newsletter
The PTF Spring 2023 Newsletter is now available. Click here to read about PTF’s anti-corruption projects, partners, knowledge products, events, and team. To receive future newsletters, please subscribe here.
Seventh Edition: Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement
Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement is a series of newsletters designed by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul to share information and increase transparency around public procurement in the…
Malawi is the Third African Country to have an Accredited Infrastructure Monitoring Platform
The Information Platform for Public Infrastructure in Malawi (IPPI) has been officially accredited as an Infrastructure Data Standard publisher by the Open Contracting Partnership by Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data…
Call for Feedback on the PTF-OSF Study on How to Expand and Adequately Fund Civil Society Organization Engagement in the Implementation of the $93 Billion IDA20 Program
The largest concessional lending program for the world’s poorest countries now needs to boost the roles of and funding for civil society in helping governments deliver results with accountability in…
Eliminating Sextortion Must Be the Goal – But How?
Needed – Zero-Tolerance Policies for Sexual Abuses By: Frank Vogl, Board Chair, Partnership for Transparency December 12, 2022 Professor Purna Sen does not use weasel words and vague phrases when…
Extension of the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement Project in Moldova
In September 2022, PTF was granted an extension of the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement Project in Moldova through June 2025. With additional time and funding, PTF and local…
PTF Partners with Poder Ciudadano to Continue to Monitor Procurement in Argentina’s Health Sector
Last month, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) and Poder Ciudadano officially signed a grant agreement for a project entitled “Recovery with Integrity: Promoting Integrity in the National Immunization Health…
Fifth Edition: Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement
The June issue of Monitoring Moldova's Public Procurement details the benefits and risks involved in the draft amendment to the Public Procurement Act registered in Parliament, how many procurements were…
From Moscow to Miami: How Dirty Money Corrupts Global Financial Systems
Global reliance on Russian oil has brought to light the challenges posed by financial corruption in Moscow, however, PTF Board Chair Frank Vogl claims that this problem extends beyond Russia…
Fourth Edition: Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement
The February issue of Monitoring Moldova's Public Procurement details the role and impact of integrity pacts, how the salary of construction workers in public works procurement is calculated, challenges of…
IDIS Viitorul Announces Grants for Civil Society in the Field of Public Procurement Monitoring
Under the project "Increasing Integrity in Public Procurement" the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) "Viitorul" in partnership with the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) is launching a competition…
Bridging Gaps in Education: How Constructive Engagement Revitalized School Communities in Ghana
The use of innovative approaches and constructive engagement resulted in demonstrable improvements to education service delivery in the Upper West Region of Ghana within the context of a social accountability…
PRESS RELEASE: Launch of Week-Long Training on Corruption in Public Procurement by Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre (CAACC) and Partnership for Transparency (PTF)
Monday, January 31 marked the launch of a week-long training program on anti-corruption efforts in public procurement hosted by the Partnership for Transparency (PTF) and the Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre…
A Whole-of-Society Approach to Corruption: PTF Training Connects Key Stakeholders in Anti-Corruption Efforts
Anti-corruption work requires a whole-of-society approach; effective efforts cannot be conducted in silos. The success of anti-corruption authorities, the organizations tasked with leading national approach to countering corruption “strongly depends…
Third Edition: Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement
The December issue of Monitoring Moldova's Public Procurement details needed improvements in terms of public works procurement in Moldova, challenges with the new functionalities of the MTender system, risks that…
Capacity Building: Monitoring Public Procurement in Moldova
During an in-depth training program organized by the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) and the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) "Viitorul,” thirty-five representatives of civil society organizations, investigative…
PRESS RELEASE: New President of PTF, Dirk Mattheisen
The Partnership for Transparency is delighted to announce the onboarding of a new president, Dirk Mattheisen. A longtime PTF adviser, Dirk is well acquainted with the organization’s operations and plans…
Grant Agreement Signed, Social Accountability in Education Project to Begin
The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) in Zambia signed a grant agreement on September 21, 2021 with the World Bank to begin implementation of Voice and Accountability: Community Empowerment…
Planning for a Burkina Faso Pilot Program on Childhood Vaccinations
On November 17, PTF and Organisation d’Afrique Francophone pour le Renforcement des Systèmes de Santé (OAFRESS) held a joint session to discuss the goals and details for a new pilot…
Launch of Procurement Monitoring Training Program in Moldova
As part of the project “Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova,” designed to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) and investigative journalists in Moldova to monitor…
Health Workers in Uganda Trained to Monitor COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
Four health workers, two from Kasangati Health Centre IV and two from Kira Health Centre IV have been trained on transparency, accountability, monitoring, and reporting of COVID-19 vaccine distribution campaigns.
MOU Signed with Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre
After connecting in the context of shared anti-corruption development goals, the Partnership for Transparency (PTF) and the Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre (CAACC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), cementing…
Second Edition: Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement
The September issue of Monitoring Moldova's Public Procurement details the changes resulting from the new regulation on low-value public procurement brings, which companies win the largest public procurement contracts, how…
Promoting Support for CSO Engagement in IDA20
The advocacy to increase meaningful funding and support for civil society engagement in World Bank operations has intensified against the backdrop of the new replenishment cycle for the International Development…
Press Release: Moldova Project Launch
Within the context of a new project: “Increasing the Integrity in Public Procurement,” civil society representatives and investigative journalists from the Republic of Moldova will monitor public procurement in the…
Summary of “Increasing the Integrity in Public Procurement in Moldova” Inception Report
A full Inception Report and Implementation Plan were written for the project: Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova, implemented by the Partnership for Transparency (PTF) and its partner…
Responding and Adapting to COVID-19 Response on the Ground
The Partnership for Transparency and representatives from our civil society partners joined the TAP Network, as a part of TAP’s Storytelling Initiative, to discuss their work on the ground to…
Climate Change and Environmental Governance Project Implementation
Partnering with the Resources, Environment, and Economics Center for Studies (REECS), The Partnership for Transparency Asia (PTFA) has launched the pilot Climate Change and Environmental Governance (CCEG) Project as a…
PTF Asia Signs Agreement with LGU Iriga City
The Partnership for Transparency Asia (PTFA) signed Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) with the Local Government Unit (LGU) and three barangays in Iriga City, Camarines Sur, in June 2021 as part…
PTF Asia Begins Activity on Masarig na Irigueño! with CSO Orientation in Iriga City
On June 16, 2021, Partnership for Transparency Asia (PTFA) conducted a project orientation with civil society organizations (CSOs) in Iriga City, Camarines Sur under the Masarig na Irigueño! Project. A…
Distribution of Fake Vaccines in Uganda Undermines Trust in Government
The revealed distribution of false and substandard vaccines in Uganda has further undermined citizens’ trust in government and the vaccination process at the peak of a new wave of COVID-19,…
A Window of Opportunity for Civil Society? The Importance of CSO Monitors in IDA20
The World Bank has committed extensive funds to help its member governments respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of these programs and speed of their development leaves them…
COVID-19 Portfolio: Summary of Work
As COVID-19 swept the globe, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) adjusted our operations to meet the moment and directly support civil society efforts to both assist and monitor emergency…
PTF Launches First-Ever Country Strategy for Uganda
The Partnership for Transparency (PTF) and the Anti Corruption Coalition for Uganda (ACCU) have begun to implement a country-wide strategy to further their shared anti-corruption aims, focused on Uganda. This…
Newsletter Launch: Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement
In the Republic of Moldova, public procurement remains an area vulnerable to irregularities, fraud, and corruption. The large amount of money circulating in the public procurement system and the frequent…
G7 Pledge to Donate COVID-19 Vaccines: Reactions and Analysis
The pledge by G7 leaders to donate one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to countries in need is laudable, but must be coupled with a strategy to ensure equity, integrity, and…
New PTF Board Member: Nathaniel Heller
The Partnership for Transparency is pleased to announce that Nathaniel Heller, vice president and managing director at Geneva Global, has joined PTF’s Board of Directors. He was nominated and confirmed…
OAFRESS and PTF: Building a Strong Partnership to Combat COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa
What began as a unique opportunity to share lessons learned from their respective health crisis response programs has led to the creation of a new partnership between PTF and a…
PTF Welcomes President Biden’s Declaration Against Corruption
The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) strongly welcomes the statement by US President Joe Biden that: “Today, I am issuing a National Security Study Memorandum on the Fight Against Corruption…
PTF Asia to Receive Grant for Building Resilient Communities Project
The Building Resilient Communities (BRC) is a pilot project that aims to make communities more responsive and resilient by training local leaders, providing health and education support, and assisting with…
The United Nations: its Relations with its Stakeholders
In 2003, then-United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan decided it was a priority for the UN to rethink how it engages with civil society and other stakeholders. He established…
The World Bank’s Evolving Relationship with Civil Society
Until the 1980s, the World Bank had very little interaction with civil society. From then on, however, engagement became ever more a feature of the Bank’s way of working. Four…
The Sardar Sarovar Saga
Civil society campaigns have provided powerful impetus towards strengthening the “downwards accountability” of the World Bank. The most widely publicized of such actions has been the twenty-year international campaign about…
Project Launch: Bridging the Gap Between Vaccine Eagerness vs. Hesitancy in India
In March, PTF signed an agreement with long-time partner, Youth for Social Development (YSD) in India to begin a new project focused on ensuring access to COVID-19 vaccinations for vulnerable…
PTF Signs Agreement to Begin COVID-19 Monitoring Project in Zambia
PTF has signed an agreement with Transparency International-Zambia to assist with the implementation of a new project, titled: Transparency and Accountability in the COVID-19 Response in Zambia. The fifteen-month project…
Corruption Scandals ‘Destroyed’ Public Trust in Vaccine Distribution
High-level corruption scandals around the world have exposed the actions of health ministers and high-level officials who manipulated the system to ensure close contacts receive COVID-19 vaccines out of turn.…
Civil Society Organizations Can Be a Powerful Tool in Getting People Vaccinated
As countries undertake the world’s largest vaccination drive, the innovation, expertise, and community reach of civil society organizations should be a key component. Given the unprecedented scale of this undertaking,…
How to Monitor Procurement During a State of Emergency: 4 Lessons Learned from Argentina
As COVID-19 swept the globe, the government of Argentina responded by imposing a state of emergency, sidestepping traditional procurement safeguards in the interest of speeding up emergency response. While it…
Ensuring Good Governance in COVID-19 Vaccination
Equity, safety, coverage, transparency, accountability and control of corruption - good governance in short - are key goals in COVID-19 vaccination country programs. Governments and donors including the World Bank…
In Myanmar, Ten Years of Democracy Produced Today’s Youthful Protestors and Tomorrow’s Leaders
As protesters laid siege to the US capitol last month, many wondered whether the United States’ imperfect democracy would survive. “Democracy has prevailed,” US President Joe Biden said in his…
Equitable COVID-19 Vaccination: How CSOs Can Help Make It Happen
In order to enhance the equity and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in developing countries, global leaders must enact an international initiative promoting civil society involvement and citizen engagement in…
PEACE Project in Myanmar: Lessons for CSO Capacity Building for Civic Engagement
A recently concluded project in Myanmar has demonstrated the importance of not only training civil society organizations to enhance their civic engagement capabilities, but also giving them opportunities to apply…
Argentine CSO Demonstrates Power of Citizen Engagement in COVID-19 Response
Following several years of project design and relations building with Malawian and international organizations, PTF completed a full proposal for funding from the European Union for a procurement monitoring project:…
Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova
In September 2020, PTF, in partnership with the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS Viitorul) in Moldova embarked on a project to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations…
Uganda’s Internet Shutdown Impacts COVID-19 Response
The internet shutdown during Uganda’s recent general election constitutes a significant setback to anti-corruption efforts in the country, and could hinder efficiency of COVID-19 response programs, according to two local…
Malawi Procurement Monitoring Project Begins Implementation
Following several years of project design and relations building with Malawian and international organizations, PTF completed a full proposal for funding from the European Union for a procurement monitoring project:…
Challenge One: Confronting The World’s Unprecedented Humanitarian Crisis
The world faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The impact of the pandemic on middle- and low-income countries is significantly greater than the enormously challenging situation in Western industrial nations. It…
Maximizing Citizen Engagement to Beat COVID
As governments and the international aid community scramble to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, direct citizen engagement in public health programs has already had a demonstrable positive impact on the…
PTF Response to COVID19
We are alive and kicking! Our physical office at the OpenGov Hub in Washington, DC is closed (pending further notice) but we are working from home, continuing to respond to…
PTF enters 2020 with 4 new projects totaling nearly $1 million USD
PTF is delighted to report on the initiation of four new projects in the past three months valued together at more than $ 1 million.
Beyond Advocacy: Maximizing social accountability initiatives and CSO engagement in the development operations funded by International Financial Institutions to accelerate SDG16 progress
Vitor Gaspar, Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Fiscal Affairs Department, presented the IMF’s Fiscal Monitor report on corruption at the latest PTF Anti Corruption Forum event. The event, co-sponsored by the Center for…
PTF signs onto the Rome Civil Society Declaration on SDG16+
As a partner of the Transparency, Accountability & Participation Network (TAP) Network, PTF has signed onto the "Rome Civil Society Declaration on SDG16+", which outlines key recommendations and a broad…
PTF Signs Grant Agreement with IDRF and YSD to Expand Health Transparency Initiative in India
The India Development Relief Fund (IDRF) has partnered with PTF to play a leading role in three Health Transparency Initiatives (HTIs) in India. The first, a Quality Improvement of Public…
Civil Society Fighting Corruption in Procurement
Fighting corruption and waste in procurement requires not only capable procurement professionals, but also a strong civil society to monitor suspicious activity and engage authorities. Partnership for Transparency (PTF) teamed…
PTF partners with the Cyprus Integrity Forum
The Partnership for Transparency and the Cyprus Integrity Forum signed a memorandum of understanding on June 26, 2018 for cooperation aimed at fighting corruption and promoting transparency and integrity through avenues…
2017 Annual Report Released
We are excited to release our 2017 Annual Report showing how Partnership for Transparency (PTF) has created and sustained impact throughout 2017, building on now 17 years of work promoting and supporting…
PTF joins TAP Network 2030 as a Partner
Partnership for Transparency is pleased to announce it has joined the TAP Network 2030 as a partner organization. The Transparency Accountability & Participation (TAP) Network 2030 is broad network of…
Civic leadership training, Citizen Engagement and Government Responsiveness: experimental evidence from the Philippines
"The effect of civic leadership training on citizen engagement and government responsiveness: experimental evidence from the Philippines" investigated the impact of civic leadership training on citizen participation and government responsiveness…
The Role of CSOs in Myanmar’s Transition from Military Rule to Democracy
On October 12, Partnership for Transparency hosted its partner Pansy Tun Thein, Executive Director of the Local Resource Centre, an umbrella organization of over a 1,000 CSOs in Myanmar. Pansy…
PTF Announces Establishment of New Affiliate in South Africa
The Partnership for Transparency (PTF) is pleased to announce the establishment of a new affiliate in South Africa – Partnership for Transparency Fund Africa (PTF-Africa). “To maximize our impact and…
Chile’s National e-Procurement Platform Hosts PTF Advisors
Above left to right: Oscar Cabello, Trinidad Inostroza, Donal O’Leary Donal O’Leary, PTF’s Procurement Working Group leader, and Oscar Cabello, a local PTF Advisor in Chile, visited ChileCompra headquarters on March 24th, in Santiago. They had…
Citizen Action Platform: Amplifying Citizen Voice for Quality Healthcare in Uganda
In many developing countries, quality health care is compromised by a lack of oversight at the local level. Poor pay, difficult living conditions and little supervision create a situation rife…
Program to Strengthen Ukrainian Civil Society’s Role in Monitoring Public Procurement Launches on 24 January in Kyiv
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) announced the launch of a two-year program to strengthen…
“Civil Society Organizations Should Independently Monitor Government and Donor Programs” States Ed Elmendorf, Partnership for Transparency Fund, Project Adviser, During UN Study Launch
Seeking to reflect the growing importance of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in international development, and the ways in which they can help implement and monitor governance improvement actions under the…
The Disease of Corruption: Article in BMC Medical Journal References PTF Work
The disease of corruption: views on how to fight corruption to advance 21st century global health goals. A new article from the journal BMC MEDICINE with articles by experts from…
U4 Issue Paper Released on “Doing Accountability Differently: A proposal for the vertical integration of civil society monitoring and advocacy”
Doing Accountability Differently: A proposal for the vertical integration of civil society monitoring and advocacy is a recently released U4 Anti-Corruption Research Centre Issue Paper co-written by Jonathan Fox of…
New PTF Affiliate Established in India
The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF), an international non-profit that supports citizen-led action to promote transparency and accountability in developing countries, is pleased to announce the establishment of a new…
Literature Review on Citizen Engagement in Health Service Delivery Released
The inclusion of citizen engagement in development programs, including those supporting the health sector, is based on the premise that giving citizens a voice will help ensure that programs are…
IGI-FITCAM Provides Ethics Training to Cameroon’s Oil Processing Corporation (SONARA)
PTF's local partner in Cameroon, the International Governance Institution - Focal Integrity Team Cameroon (IGI-FITCAM) recently conducted a four day intensive training course for 40 newly elected Ambassadors of Ethics at…
Report of the ‘Social Audit of Performance of Members of Parliament in Odisha’ Released by YSD
Youth for Social Development (YSD) is a PTF partner with a commitment to improve accountable governance, bring transparency in utilization of public funds and ensure its efficient and equitable utilization of tax…
Final Report on “Lessons from the CARTA Program in Bangladesh and Nepal” Released
March 17, 2016 - Recent years have witnessed concerns about issues of government effectiveness and accountability, particularly in the delivery ...
PTF Submits Evidence Demonstrating the Power of Civil Society Fighting Corruption to the UK Parliament
Ahead of the UK Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Summit, to be held in London in May, the Parliament's International Development Committee is inquiring into the direction and effectiveness of the Department…
John Nellis on “What’s Next for the Anti-Corruption Agenda?”
On February 17, 2016, I attended an event celebrating 15 years of operation of the Washington-based Partnership for Transparency Fund. The PTF, founded by former staff members of the World…
Is adoption of governance as a SDG an empty gesture?
The adoption of governance focused SDG #16 and its targets is being claimed a great victory for proponents of good governance. All UN member states approved the goal to “build…
New Report Available on Citizen Engagement and Social Accountability in Conditional Cash Transfer Programs
Conditional cash transfer programs (CCTPs) are widely used in the world and are proving effective in generating proven poverty alleviation impacts. However, CCTP achievements are undermined by fraud, errors, and…
The Future of OGP: Competition or Coordination with SDG #16?
Just a few weeks ago, 193 countries of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Members of the OGP Steering Committee also endorsed the Joint Declaration…
PTF Parter CCAGG Wins the Prestigious Galing Pook Citizenship Award for Community Based Monitoring of Government Services
PTF's local partner in the Philippines - the Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government (CCAGG) - has won the prestigious Galing Pook Citizenship Award for community based monitoring of…
ADB Publishes “Governance Brief” on Engaging Citizens to Promote Good Governance by Vinay Bhargava
There is a growing movement for governments to call for greater citizen participation in the design and implementation of public policies and programs. This brief explores these trends, outlines the benefits , and…
Report on CARTA Workshop in Bangladesh Available for Download
The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) has published a report on "Improving Development Outcomes through Citizen Engagement" containing lessons learned and recommendations for the future on the use of social…
PTF’s Barry Metzger Rule of Law Initiative Awards First Grant of $35,000 to establish a Rule of Law Network in the Western Balkans
PTF recently approved a $35,000 grant to the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM) in Belgrade, Serbia, to establish a regional network in the Western Balkans that aims to strengthen…
Aloysius Uche Ordu on the 2015 African Development Bank Annual Meetings
I had the great pleasure of representing the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) at the African Development Bank’s (AfDB’s) Annual meetings on from May 25 - 30, 2015 in Abidjan,…
5 Things You Should Know About Governance as a Proposed Sustainable Development Goal
On May 27 I had the pleasure of serving as a panelist at an event organized by the Governance Thematic Group of 1818 Society of the World Bank Group (WBG)…
Citizen Monitoring Yields Positive Development Outcomes
The engagement of civil society organisations and communities in monitoring development projects increases citizen awareness and participation in taxpayer-funded programmes, a new report found ...
National Workshop on the CARTA Program Concludes in Bangladesh
A workshop on “Improving Development Outcomes through Citizen Engagement,’ to review the lessons learned through the Citizen Action for Results, Transparency and Accountability (CARTA) Program, concluded today at the Lakeshore…
PARTNER NEWS: Making Front Line Officials of the Public Service in Cameroon Anti-Corruption Activists
Balancing actions to expose corruption with non-confrontation is not always easy in Cameroon where the challenge of corruption is high and visible to ordinary citizens on a daily basis. Again,…
New Toolkit on “Integrating Gender throughout a Project’s Life Cycle”
Through a small grant from the USAID/Food for Peace-funded Technical and Operational Performance Support (TOPS) Program, Land O’Lakes’ International Development collaborated with Cultural Practice, Development and Training Services, Inc. (dTS),…
Student Anti-Corruption Training by NGOs in Cameroon: Successful Examples
Recently, Shilpa Banerji submitted an entry to the World Bank's Governance for Development Blog on “How students in Cameroon are fighting corruption in schools”. It describes how, with the help…
Constructive Engagement Process between Governments and CSOs: Are We Getting Results?
I was asked by the ADB to facilitate a round-table discussion on the topic “Constructive Engagement Process between Governments and CSOs: Are We Getting Results?—Experiences and Lessons from Asia”. The…
PTF e.V. Releases 2014 Annual Report
PTF e.V. has just released it's 2014 Annual Report covering the organization's inaugural year. Despite its relatively short existence, PTF e.V. has managed to establish its presence, build an impressive…
PTF at the 2014 World Bank Youth Summit
On October 7, 2014, PTF representatives had the opportunity to share their experiences on youth involvement in anti-corruption initiatives at the World Bank's Youth Summit. The Summit convened young civil…
PTF Releases Two New Working Papers on Controlling Corruption in Social Safety Nets
Safety net programs help provide opportunities and increase the quality of life for the poor in developing countries. Yet they are prime targets for corruption due their decentralized and complex…
Citizens Drive Innovative Ways to Fight Corruption but Donor Support Lags Behind
Citizens globally are increasingly concerned with and demanding actions to confront poor governance and corruption. In response, civil society’s role has evolved to meet their needs –from simple watchdogs to…
PTF Celebrates the International Day of Democracy
Over the past 14 years, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) has supported civil society activists in developing democracies working to engage citizens in the demand for good governance. Our…
PTF Releases 2013 Annual Report
PTF advances innovative citizen-led approaches to improve governance, increase transparency, promote the rule of law and reduce corruption in developing countries. Throughout 2013, PTF provided support for the incubation phase…
We’ve Moved! PTF Joins the OpenGov Hub
PTF has moved its Washington, DC based office to the OpenGov Hub, a workspace for transparency and accountability minded organizations. We’re excited to get to work with our new office…
PTF Leads Call for New Multilateral Governance and Accountability Program in the UK
Between 2007 and 2012 the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF) program provided about $200 million USD for around 1,000 transparency and accountability projects…
Dr. Vinay Bhargava Shares Lessons on Citizen Engagement in Education Administration
PTF's Chief Technical Officer, Vinay Bhargava, has been busy during a visit to Japan to share lessons of experience for grassroots anti-corruption interventions. Only July 7th, Dr. Bhargava was in Kobe,…
PTF Urges World Bank President to Scale-up GPSA
At the Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) Global Partners Forum in May 2014, World Bank President Jim Kim called the program, which aims to bring together civil society and…
New Report on PTF-Supported Anti-Corruption Interventions in Education
Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report: Education (2013) reinforces the notion that corruption inhibits social and economic development and may even jeopardize stability of a nation’s education system. Opportunity for corruption…
PTF Launches Barry Metzger Rule of Law Initiative
On May 14, 2014, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) launched the Barry Metzger Rule of Law Initiative at the law offices of Baker & McKenzie in Washington, DC. The initiative is designed to respect the humanitarian…
Michael Lippe – In Memoriam
Michael Lippe, a valued Project Adviser to the Partnership for Transparency Fund, died on Monday, April 28th, 2014 of pancreatic cancer. His capacity to push-on, working to aid the poorest…
World Bank promotes citizen action to help fight corruption and poverty
PTF’s Board Chair, Anabel Cruz, and Chief Technical Adviser, Vinay Bhargava, were quoted in an article written by Stella Dawson on citizen-led anti-corruption interventions. Anabel Cruz “warned of fatigue among poor…
PTF Strives to Improve Health Service Delivery in the “Most Malarial Town on Earth”
Access to anti-malarial medications are essential to human, economic, and social development in affected areas, but are frequently compromised by poor governance and lack of accountability. Life-saving medications go missing…
Corruption Kills
Pervasive corruption plagues health service delivery across developing and emerging market countries. Nurses and doctors extort payments from the poor for services that should be free. Counterfeit drugs are sent…
Education project by PTF’s Mongolian partner, Globe International, becomes GPSA finalist
The World Bank supported Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) has selected eight final development projects proposed by civil society organizations from a total of 428 proposals that were made.…
Uganda’s only hope is a stronger civil society
Sir, Michael Holman (“The west lays itself a trap over Uganda’s anti-gay laws”, March 6) is highly perceptive in his analysis of how western donors have responded to Uganda’s determination…
PTF Celebrates International Women’s Day
After almost 15 years of working with over 100 CSOs in more than 50 countries, time and time again PTF-supported projects have demonstrated the power of women’s perspectives, knowledge and…
Women’s Involvement in Grassroots Anti-Corruption Interventions
Corruption affects everyone, but women in developing countries often suffer the most. All too often, women experience extortion and corruption at the hands of low-level public officials when it comes…
The Pains and Rewards of Constructive Engagement: Lessons Learned from a PTF-Supported Project in Cameroon
It is impossible not to come away with a big smile after meeting Asah Azefor and Beltus Atunsiri. Asah is the leader and Beltus is his deputy of a Non-Governmental…
Citizen-led development is yielding results
Sir, William Easterly (“Western vanities that do little to help the world’s poor”, January 25) ignores the reductions in poverty that targeted official aid, foundation grants and individual philanthropy are…
PTF Book Review in Top 10 World Bank Blogs of 2013
A review "Citizens Against Corruption" rolled in at #10 on the World Bank's list of Top Ten Blog Posts by Readership in 2013. Click here to read the blog written by Duncan Green,…
Interview with Frank Vogl on Anti-Corruption and PTF
Freedom Observatory, an independent, non-partisan think tank featuring international relations and political analysis, interviewed PTF Vice-Chair Frank Vogl on corruption and the work of the Partnership for Transparency Fund in their…
Richard Stern Becomes President and Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership for Transparency Fund
Richard Stern has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of The Partnership for Transparency Fund, effective January 1, 2014. Stern, a former World Bank Vice President, takes over PTF’s…
Anti-Corruption Is Marching Ahead
The events right now in Ukraine, Turkey, India and China, where each is very different in detail, yet where public anti-corruption pressures are central, underscores how increasingly powerful and how…
PTF Launches Citizen Action Platform in Uganda
Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) recently launched the pilot phase of a flagship program – Citizen Action Platform (CAP) – in the Apac region of Uganda. CAP is pioneering a…
Fake Money and Ballot Box Raise Hopes in the Fight on Corruption this International Anti-Corruption Day
PTF joins all citizens of the world in celebrating International Anti-Corruption Day, today 9th December 2013, by endorsing the call of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make fighting corruption…
PTF Expands Anti-Corruption Ventures with New Affiliate in Munich
Washington-based Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) is pleased to announce that an affiliate not-for-profit organization, the Partnerschaft Fonds für Transparenz Eingetragener Verein (PTF e.V.) has been established in Munich/Germany, expanding…
How Desperate Housewives of Khariar Successfully Fought Corruption
Poor women in thousands of towns and villages of developing countries are routinely cheated out of basic benefits to which they are entitled under government programs - not because of…
Good Practices for Engaging with Citizens for Greater Development Impact
Is it realistic to expect citizens to hold service providers accountable given the huge asymmetry of power between the two, or are we setting unrealistic expectations that citizen engagement interventions…
Independent Evaluations of PTF Projects
John Clark, an international development consultant, former civil society activist and adviser to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, was commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), and by…
Independent Evaluations of 116 Projects Stress the Value of Partnership for Transparency Fund’s Pioneering Approaches
John Clark, an international development consultant, former civil society activist and adviser to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, was commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), and by…
Steve Ettinger – December 3, 1942-July 31, 2013.
Steve Ettinger, PTF Advisor and team leader on PTF’s projects in Latin America, including the FONTRA program, died on July 31 after a four year valiant and determined battle against…
Corruption as an Indicator of a Failed State
In June, the Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy Magazine published the 2013 Failed States Index, an annual report ranking a country’s stability based on twelve social, economic, and political…
Insights from Transparency and Access to Information Projects in Argentina
10 PTF-supported projects in Argentina were recently reviewed confirming that small, short, one-off projects can make a difference even if they are barely a drop in the bucket of fighting…
Learning from Unsatisfactory Results – Questions on Implementing Capacity
Donors must be especially rigorous in identifying and assessing the implementing capacity of civil society organizations CSOs seeking support. There are many CSOs with a determination to improve governance in…
PTF Chief Technical Adviser Vinay Bhargava to Host Two Seminars in Switzerland
PTF Chief Technical Adviser to speak at two seminars in Switzerland to discuss PTF's work and the new book Citizens Against Corruption: Report from the Frontline by PTF co-founder and…
What Works? A Conversation with PTF co-founder and former PTF President Pierre Landell-Mills
Our experience underscores that governments will only be accountable if their citizens consistently and persistently demand accountability. Continuous organized citizen engagement is essential. Popular mass movements can change regimes, but…
Strengthening Understanding of How Civil Society Contributes to Curbing Corruption
Workshops involving donors and CSO project implementers can yield solid outcomes when there is a common purpose and sharp focus. A PTF – ACT workshop in Kenya concluded with a…
PTF Accountability Project to Move Ahead with ADB Support in the Philippines
The Partnership for Transparency Fund is being support by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in a one-year project in the Philippines to improve the capacities of stakeholders – local governments and…
To be rich or to be honest? – Teaching Integrity to the Young in South Korea
Guest Blog By Kim Sung-Soo, Executive Director, Transparency International - Korea, which has been a global leader in civil society in educating young people about the curse of corruption and…
The Death Toll Rises in Bangladesh as Legal Impunity for the Powerful Rules
The system that enables powerful politicians and their business cronies to act as if they are above the law in Bangladesh has been horribly exposed by the rising death toll…
New Program Honors PTF Co-Founder Barry Metzger
The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF), supporting civil society organizations to curb corruption and promote government transparency and accountability, has established the “Barry Metzger Rule of Law Initiative.” Mr. Metzger,…
The Essential Need for Good Governance in Public-Private Partnerships
Many governments do not have all the financial resources required to expand, maintain, and operate their country’s infrastructure. Also in search of more investment efficiency, several countries have adopted public-private…
Pro-Active Project Planning – Serbian Example
Considerations of three PTF-supported projects in Serbia, all of which impacted sensitive political and judicial developments, highlighted the crucial need for sponsors (donors – in this case PTF) to pursue…
Champions Can Be Essential to Project Success – Example Cameroon Education Projects
In seeking to enhance governmental transparency and accountability constructive engagement with public officials works much better than denouncing malpractice and confronting public officials, argues the author. Project experiences in Cameroon…
PTF at ADB Annual Meeting, New Delhi
PTF Board Director Dante de los Angeles chaired a PTF seminar at the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank on May 5, 2013 in New Delhi: "How Civil Society Empowerment…
New Book – Citizens Against Corruption – Report from the Frontline
Over the last dozen years The Partnership for Transparency Fund has support with money and expert advice more than 200 projects across the developing world to reduce corruption. Now, in…
Human Rights Are at the Core of Good Governance Projects – An Example from PTF in India
In the State of Orissa in India, the government claims to provide for not only free delivery to women giving birth, but also an incentive payment for choosing institutional delivery…
Barry Metzger – In Memoriam
Barry Metzer, a founding Board Member of the Partnership for Transparency Fund and for a dozen years its beacon and moral compass, died on Saturday, December 22, 2012 of complications…
A Dramatic Year for Anti-Corruption in the Philippines
The Philippines have long been plagued by endemic corruption, including graft, bribery, and extortion. A lacking and complex regulatory system and low institutional oversight to enforce existing regulations contribute to…
Frank Vogl, PTF Co-Founder and Board Vice Chair, Publishes New Book Looking Inside the Global Anti-Corruption Movement
Frank Vogl, co-founder of both Transparency International and the Partnership for Transparency Fund has published Waging War on Corruption: Inside the Movement Fighting the Abuse of Power. At PTF we…
PTF Enters Contract With Asian Development Bank to Strengthen Bhutan’s Anti-Corruption Commission
PTF was selected by the Asian Development Bank to work with Bhutan's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The project is aimed at enhancing the institutional capacity of the ACC focusing on the…
New AusAID Grant to Bolster PTF Anti-Corruption Knowledge Sharing in the Philippines
The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) has initiated a grant of $200,000 to PTF to broaden the impact of PTF’s anti-corruption work in the Philippines. Since 2003 PTF has…
In Search of Transparency: new SEC rules expose financial details of international oil and mineral industries
On August 22nd, the U.S. Securities and Exchanges Committee approved Section 1504, or the Cardin-Lugar provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This legislation was initially…
A Corruption-Free Olympics?
The Olympic Games represent a time and place for national pride, for celebrating achievement and extraordinary athletic ability, and for international unity. However, beyond the pomp and circumstance, the Olympics…
How Civic Media can help citizens fight corruption
Last week I was honored to be a guest speaker at the Center for Civic Media at the MIT Media Lab in Boston (click to read the live blog from…
PTF Chief Technical Adviser Vinay Bhargava to Speak at MIT
Corruption, a universal problem, victimizes the poor bottom billion of the global population. These poor are bypassed by trickle-down growth strategies. They suffer chronic poverty. Corruption robs them of services…
The Real Problem in Uganda is Corruption Not Kony
Joseph Kony seems to be everywhere these days. One place where he is not however, is Uganda. Kony fled the northern part of the country with his diminished band of…
PTF Hosts South Asia Workshop
From November 29th to December 2nd, PTF hosted a peer learning and knowledge sharing workshop in Jaipur, India. The workshop was focused on engaging citizens in fighting against corruption in…
New Program in Bangladesh and Nepal Takes Off
Building on over a decade of experience around governance and anti-corruption programming, PTF has launched a new program to enhance the development impact, sustainability and local ownership of World Bank-financed…
Writing on the Wall as Appropriate Technology for Transparency
The "Transparency Wall" in Ranga Reddy village in Andhra Pradesh, India fully serves its purpose of transparency and accountability and is a great example of appropriate technology ...
Why I Joined PTF: Improving Everyday Life for the Poor
After reviewing the day’s lively email correspondence from East Africa civil society organizations ranging from progress on tracking anti malaria drug distribution, to the match up of school construction project…
Princeton University and the World Bank laud PTF funded projects
Three PTF funded projects were featured in recent publications by Princeton University's Innovations for Successful Societies and the World Bank's Innovative Solutions for Governance series. The Princeton paper cites the…
Corruption Can Kill: Why I Wanted to Work with the PTF
I’ve been asked from time to time why I became interested in the issue of corruption. Having worked at the World Bank, I was aware of the corrosive effect that…
What happened when 38 CSOs from 8 countries got together and exchanged experiences in engaging citizens against corruption?
Government accountability, right to information laws as a more effective tool than bribery, youth groups exposing use of sub standard materials in road construction, pregnant women getting the benefit of…
Kenya Open Data Initiative (KODI) Heralds a New Era for Access to Information
2011 has been a great year for Kenya in the areas of access to information and open data. First, in April 2011, Kenya Gazette Notices dating back to 1906 were…
Why Puerto Rico Should Look to Uganda in the Fight Against Police Corruption
In October 2010, 61 Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) officers were arrested on charges related to corruption. Specifically, the police were failing “to police sex crimes and incidents of domestic…
India’s Corruption Sparks Do-It-Yourself Innovation
India's mass demonstrations against corruption are being widely hailed as a successful mobilization of citizenry for a common good. But the movement is far from a unified endeavor.
PTF Receives Three Grants for $2.5 million
The Partnership for Transparency Fund has received three grants in July 2011 totaling $2.5 million to intensify its efforts to fight corruption and promote accountable and transparent government in developing…
Stimulating Demand for Good Governance
This report examines the impact that citizen demand for good governance (DFGG) can have on development effectiveness. It analyzes World Bank and other donor experience with support for DFGG; constraints…
DFID Review of PTF: Innovative Support to Civil Society in Fighting Corruption
The main Mid-Term Review (MTR) conclusion is its confidence that the CAC programme represents high value for money, impressive innovation, and valuable support to civil society in fighting corruption.
New Independent Evaluation provides Substantive Insights to the Impact of PTF’s Work Across the Developing World
download the evaluation (1.4MB) “The substantial – often dramatic – benefit that can derive swiftly from PTF’s small grants is a success story worthy of wider telling”, writes John Clark,…
New Report calls on World Bank to Strengthen Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Work with Civil Society
Download the report (1.4MB) Despite heightened priority to work with civil society under the World Bank’s recent “Governance and Anti-Corruption (GAC)” policies, a new study finds significant shortcomings. A critical…
Monitoring Education Delivery in Eastern Uganda
Uganda Ethics Network Outreach (UENO) recently launched a PTF funded project in Manafwa, a large rural district along the Kenyan border in Eastern Uganda. The project aims to target misappropriation…
World Bank Contributes $400,000 to PTF
Last month, a contribution of US $400,000 was released to the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) for the purpose of funding anticorruption projects globally. The grant agreement was signed by…
PTF at the 2010 International Anti-Corruption Conference
Under the heading of “Restoring Trust: Global Action for Transparency,” more that 1,200 anti-corruption experts converged in Bangkok, Thailand for the International Anti-Corruption Conference in mid-November 2010. PTF held a…
