A walkthrough of the COVID-19 Fiscal Governance Database

Learn & Adapt

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COVID-19 Response

At the onset of the lockdowns in March, we focused on sharing and learning with our team and checked in with 70 partners, listening to how they were tackling challenges across operations, programs, and strategy to emerge from the crisis with greater resilience. Below are some ways we have adapted by both pivoting existing programs and developing new initiatives.

#Account4COVID

We launched #Account4COVID alongside Accountability Lab, the African Freedom of Information Centre, AfroLeadership, BudgIT, CODE / Follow The Money Africa, and Public Service Accountability Monitor. This initiative supports dialogue, networking, and exchange amongst African civil society organizations seeking to address governance challenges relating to COVID-19 in their contexts, including issues such as misinformation and citizen-led efforts to track the use of public resources. Join the conversation.

Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence (GI-ACE) Research Programme

Our research partners are addressing COVID-19 through initiatives and thought pieces such as Corruption in the Tanzanian Health Sector by Claudia Baez Camargo from the Basel Institute of Governance and COVID-19 Impacts Cross Border Traders in East Africa by Jacqueline Klopp from Columbia University.

COVID-19 Fiscal Governance Database

Building on the work of others, we released the Global Integrity COVID-19 Fiscal Governance Database in July. The database, which houses over 500+ resources, is intended to inform initiatives to enhance transparency and accountability around the use of funds provided to address COVID-19 challenges.

Resources are in Spanish and English, and we add 40 – 60 additional resources each week from multilaterals (such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank) and global civil society organizations (such as Transparency International and the U4 Anti-Corruption Research Centre). Resources come from both the national level (from more than 50 countries) and multi-stakeholder governance initiatives (such as the Open Government Partnership and the Open Contracting Partnership).

Search Database

Photo credit: Enkhbayar Batsukh

Lessons for the U.S.

Good ideas can be found anywhere. In July, we launched Outside/In to share international perspectives on governance challenges in the U.S. The series includes pieces on Mongolia’s successful COVID response and international reflection on Black Lives Matter. Stay tuned for more notable lessons through the rest of the year.

Rethinking Possibilities with Remote Working

After six years in Washington D.C., our Executive Director, Alan Hudson, embraced the new reality of remote working and moved back home to England in August.

“I’m excited to be back in Brighton, next to the sea and the South Downs National Park, and closer to our partners and funders in Europe and Africa.”

Over the summer, we hired a new Head of Communications and our first ever Director for Listening and Learning. We asked Ambika and Raquel what it’s like to switch jobs during a pandemic, join a new team remotely, and how COVID has inspired them to reconnect to their priorities.

“For me, it’s been about being deeply involved with program work and using communications to directly create impact”

– Ambika Samarthya-Howard, New York
Head of Communications

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to join such an amazing team, in a moment when the job that we do as Global Integrity is more relevant and needed than ever”

– Raquel Rubio, Colorado
Director for Listening and Learning

Tackling Urban Corruption: A fresh take on a persistent problem
from African Centre for Cities

Program Highlights
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Africa Integrity Indicators Transition

We wrapped up the eighth round of research for the Africa Integrity Indicators project, started round nine, and agreed with the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to transition management and ownership of the project to an African organization over the next three years.

Better Commitments to Combat Corruption

Building on the experience of countries worldwide, we are working with partners, including the Open Data Charter, to develop tools that will support the design of commitments being made to use open data to fight corruption as part of the Open Government Partnership.

Cities of Integrity

The Cities of Integrity research team– who form part of the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence Research Programme– recently closed the Southern Africa City Studies Conference and launched its first video in a series promoting integrity in urban planning and development in South Africa and Zambia.

Data & Dialogues for TAI Nigeria & Colombia

Continuing our partnership with the Transparency & Accountability Initiative and local partners, we gathered baseline data from Nigeria and facilitated a series of dialogues about extractives reform and its impact on transparency, participation and accountability in Colombia.

Connecting with 13 Global Affiliate Open Government Hubs

In August, we hosted our first-ever virtual retreat with participants from 15 countries across 5 continents. The retreat aimed to foster peer-learning about how to operate a hub successfully, helping participants clarify their core offerings and enhance their ability to facilitate virtual community building in their own networks.

Read More About Our Work

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