Clik here to view.
Changing power relations: Community schools in Nepal
I had heard (and read) about the community schools in Nepal for several years. Last February, I finally had a chance to visit them. Community-run schools are often seen as a potentially powerful way...
View ArticleClik here to view.
M-government? – Innovations from Punjab
Two recent blogs (Mobile Apps for Health, Jobs and Poverty Data and Transformational Use of ICTs in Africa) talked about how mobile applications facilitate access to services in the financial, trade,...
View ArticleHow Kerala is using the Internet to localize delivery of public services to...
I was intrigued by Kerala's Akshaya program. Kerala is uniquely, a most decentralized state, the only one of 17 in India to enact the Right to Public Services and, to open citizen service centers...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Open Government Contracts Platform is now live!
More than 60 governments have committed to the Open Government Partnership (OGP), making their government data available to enable public scrutiny and citizen monitoring, and enhance government...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who is Responsible for Building Trust in Institutions?
I joined Facebook in 2007. For years, I would boast that I got all my news from Facebook and the Daily Show, an American satirical television program, which delivers fake news reports. I should be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Six Charts on How Corruption Impacts Firms Worldwide
At times, I ask my friends in Nepal, why they would not launch a business, especially when they have funds. A common obstacle for everyone is that they say you have to bribe government officials to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Follow the Money: Connecting Aid Data and the Open Contracting Data Standard
Development depends on how well resources are spent. So, how can we truly follow the money from the moment that it is delivered all the way through how it is spent? How can we gather the data...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Here is a model Indian States can implement to ensure smooth flow of medical...
Photo: John Isaac / World Bank Though the Indian government has steadily increased funding for its health sector, per capita allocation is still low; reform is thus critical to effectively utilize the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Five ways technology is improving public services
If you live in a country where electricity never or rarely goes out, you are lucky. In my country, Nepal, we are pleased when we get uninterrupted electricity for even eight hours a day. Like Nepal,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How cellphones helped to dramatically reduce new cases of Dengue fever in...
Photo: Johan Larsson/CC“This dengue has become a calamity,” Saad Azeem said in September 2011. He wasn’t exaggerating. Azeem, a 45 year-old police officer, was “at home suffering from the fever and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What would Pakistan 2.0 look like?
Gateway to the Badshahi Mosque, with Lahore Fort opposite. Photo: Michael Foley If you have ever doubted that the mother of invention is necessity, then look no further than Pakistan. Pakistan has...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Swept up in work: My years in the Kabul office
Afghanistan. Photo by Graham Crouch/World Bank I spent the past 11 years working and living in Afghanistan. I didn’t intend to stay that long in one country office, but I got swept up in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The role of ombudsman institution in improving public service delivery
In May 2015, I was a panel speaker at the 2nd World Bank – International Ombudsman Institute Roundtable on the role of ombudsman institutions (OIs) in promoting citizen-centric governance and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Engaging community in monitoring of road projects
Photo: CUTS InternationalCitizen monitoring is a relatively new concept in infrastructure sector in India. Even though the country has vibrant democracy and policy interventions like right to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Four ways governments are making girls’ lives better
Also available in: العربية As the International Day of the Girl Child is coming up on October 11, it reminds us of an important role governments can play to help girls lead their own lives. Investing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How a professor started a campaign to fight everyday corruption in India
Photo credit: 5th Pillar An expatriate Indian physics professor, when traveling back home to India, found himself harassed by endless extortion demands. As a way to fight corruption by shaming the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How corruption affects businesses around the world, in 5 charts
We know corruption in developing countries affects poor people the most. It also impacts firms in many ways.Here are five charts showing how corruption is affecting businesses from South Asia to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A straightforward way for local governments to engage more with their citizens
Photo: © Jonathan Ernst/World Bank A neighborhood road a minute walk away from my house in the southern plains of Nepal used to be paved. When I was a kid, it was usable during all seasons. Not...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What does “Good Governance” really mean in higher education?
Photo: WorldSkills (under Creative Commons) Visiting a technical institution (one that is focused on science and engineering) in India can be a mixed experience. I have been to campuses that have...
View ArticleWhen the emperor reaches out to the citizen, that’s new
If you want a passport in Pakistan, you wait in line – possibly for hours. You might get to the passport office at the crack of dawn to avoid the queue. The process might be unclear, and there might...
View Article
