Country work updates
Our work at the country-level takes an ecosystem approach to corruption risks, with the analysis of the problems and discussion of solutions in each context guided by our TAP-Plus approach. We have built portfolios in Nigeria, Mongolia, and Peru and are also exploring supporting stakeholders in Zimbabwe and Colombia.
Nigeria
Our focus in Nigeria is on budget and revenue management at the subnational level, identifying ways to boost transparency and citizen engagement by enhancing information sharing in an environment of low trust between citizens and government. We work with BudgIT to understand the challenges that states in the Niger Delta face as a consequence of the low oil price environment. The project started with this report on fiscal sustainability and will continue with an analysis of corruption perceptions. We also work with Enough is Enough and BudgIT on storytelling techniques to increase citizen engagement in budget tracking processes. Our project that seeks to understand how various stakeholder groups form their opinions about fuel subsidies and the resulting implications for reform is currently in the design stage.
Mongolia
In Mongolia, we focus on how to overcome constraints and bottlenecks around the beneficial ownership (BO) transparency process. A well-attended roundtable with many stakeholders working in BO in Mongolia informed our systems-approach to the issue. As a result, we developed an agenda of complementary projects in coordination with Transparency International, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), Open Society Forum, and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). We recently launched an analysis of the legal framework currently governing BO in the country. This will be followed by an analysis of opportunities to strengthen the combination of multiple databases with the limited information currently in the registry. We are also discussing with EITI the possibility of piloting a knowledge broker model to synthesize data and disseminate it in different formats, building on a recent experience of a data lab in the country.
Peru
LTRC has been invited as an observant to the ongoing subnational dialogue process towards a Mining Vision 2030 in the Moquegua and Cajamarca regions of Peru, organized by the Ministry of Energy and Mining and the Inter-American Development Bank. We will work with local universities and research centers in those regions to test different ways to triangulate and communicate information among subnational level governments, civil society, and mining companies, highlighting corruption risks, and promoting accountability. This will be complemented by the formation of a community of learning, an opportunity to exchange perspectives on existing challenges and to participate in the design of solutions that better respond to the context of those regions.
Zimbabwe and Colombia
In Zimbabwe, we plan to explore the links between artisanal gold mining and corruption. In Colombia, we are about to launch a project that combines research into the use of royalties in the Valle del Cauca region and an exploration on ways to engage citizens in monitoring the use of resources.