During the mid-2000s, as Global Integrity increased its country coverage through the Global Integrity Report and began exploring sub-national and sector fieldwork through the Local Integrity Initiative, we heard the same feedback from the private sector time and again, from both investors and operating companies: "Sure, your research is helpful, but it's not actionable enough. I can't take your country report to my investment committee."
We thought that was interesting. Private actors had increasingly become a major driver of both corruption crises and anti-corruption reforms in many countries. Was our existing research missing the mark when it came to giving those stakeholders what they needed to make more informed decisions on the ground?
Our response was Foglamp, an attempt to stimulate private sector demand for reform through market-based mechanisms that respond to corruption and transparency risks in global markets. By leveraging our network of more than 1,300 in-country contributors, Foglamp is able to generate real-time custom research for the overseas investment community to directly address deal-specific questions. In lay terms, Foglamp generates the information that will go to an investment committee meeting, answering concerns about regulatory and reputational risk while helping to unearth hidden investment opportunities in markets where public perception of corruption may lag behind actual reform.
Marketed and branded separately, Foglamp also serves as a source of earned revenue for Global Integrity, providing a path towards sustainability for the organization as a whole. For more information about Foglamp, including case studies of previous projects, please visit the Foglamp website.
