Governance and Anti-Corruption Newsletter - August 2008

Highlights:

*World Bank Institute participates at the Fortune Brainstorm TECH Conference, Half Moon Bay, California: The meeting organized by the Internet and Technology division of Fortune Magazine gathered leaders from different backgrounds with the aim of thinking how technological innovations can solve larger problems in the world. Daniel Kaufmann, Director for Governance and Anti-Corruption at the World Bank Institute, participated as speaker and lab-leader in the sessions "Governance and Governing" and "What the Rest of the World Wants." Some of his experiences from the meeting have generated interesting comments and discussion in the World Bank's Governance Matters Blog.
View the agenda and other information about the event

Read Fortune’s media coverage

View the blog entries:

‘Governance-on-the-Go’, or GonGo: The citizen at the center of an IT-enabled governance breakthrough?

GonGo for Democracy: How mobile technology is changing the way grassroots organizations monitor elections

*'Governance Matters' series, containing the updated and expanded set of Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) for 212 countries and territories, is available here, along with the full datasets, interactive charts and technical documentation.

*The Fifth Pan-Commonwealth Forum for Open Learning took place in London, UK, on July 13-18, 2008. The World Bank Institute's Parliamentary Strengthening Program presented their series of thirteen online learning modules that were developed to support established and new client parliaments through the use of new technologies. The conference theme was "Access to Learning for Development" with a focus on governance, conflict and social justice. Participation also allowed the parliamentary program to draw on the experience of leaders in the field of open learning. Some 700 delegates from over 70 countries participated in the event. For more information, contact Rick Stapenhurst (fstapenhurst@worldbank.org).

*The Africa Good Governance Program on the Radio Waves was just completed in the month of July. This innovative program supported local government capacity building and community empowerment through a radio learning program that focuses on good governance, anti-corruption, civic participation and fiscal decentralization. The program builds on the great oral tradition of knowledge exchange in Africa, relying on participants' engagement and use of country specific case-studies. The radio program has been produced and customized for Benin, Burkina Faso and Madagascar. Focus group sessions have been held in each of the three countries, where community leaders gave feedback and comments, which has lead to the final phase of the production. It is envisaged that the program is relevant for other Francophobe countries in the region. For more information contact Maria Gonzalez de Asis (Mgonzalezasis@worldbank.org).

I. RECENT EVENTS

More detailed information is available on our Calendar of Eventspage.

1.Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action for the Advancement of the Right to Information (August 1, 2008)
Marcos Mendiburu, WBI Social Development Specialist joined the more than 125 participants, representing governments, civil society, international organizations and financial institutions, private sector, donors and scholars, from 40 countries who met to discuss the successes and future challenges to the establishment of a right of access to information. In July, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter forwarded the Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action (69 kb pdf) for the Advancement of the Right to Information to all heads of state and leaders of the major international organizations and financial institutions. President Carter urged these leaders to ensure the right of access to information and its implementation and enforcement. For additional information related to the conference and materials visit theCarter Center’s Access to Information project website or contact Laura Neuman (lneuman@emory.edu).

2. Seminar on Legislative Budget Offices, Washington DC (July 28-30, 2008): The World Bank Institute (WBI) together with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), conducted a Seminar on Legislative Budget Office. This seminar brought together approximately 30 Members of Parliament from Ghana, Nigeria, Thailand, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Morocco, Lebanon and Dominican Republic. The purpose of this event was to enhance participants' knowledge concerning the informational needs for improved financial oversight by parliaments, to exchange 'international better practice' with respect to the design and development of Legislative Budget Offices and to undertake site visits and briefings in order to provide participants with a clearer understanding as to the operational issues impacting on the effectiveness of Legislative Budget Offices.
For more information please contact Rick Stapenhurst (fstapenhurst@worldbank.org) or Paulina Biernacka (pbiernacka@worldbank.org)

3. The Africa Good Governance Program on the Radio Waves (July 1-30 2008): The goal of this program was to support local government capacity building and community empowerment through a learning program that focuses on anti-corruption, civic participation and fiscal decentralization. The program builds on the great oral tradition of knowledge exchange in Africa, relying on participants' engagement. The program was produced for three initial countries –Benin, Burkina Faso and Madagascar-, although its potential utility can reach other francophone countries in the region. For more information contact Maria Gonzalez de Asis (Mgonzalezasis@worldbank.org).

4. FORTUNE TECH Brainstorm Conference, Half Moon Bay California  (July 21-23, 2008): The meeting was comprised of Fortune magazine's technology, media, and internet editorial talent and brought together again leaders and influencers of the digital world to look at the future of the tech business. Topics ranged from the greening of the valley, and people driven media to the future of gaming and next-generation mobile internet. Chaired by technology editor David Kirkpatrick of FORTUNE Magazine. Daniel Kaufmann, Director, Governance and Anti-Corruption of the World Bank Institute gave special presentations as lab-leader in the sessions "Governance and Governing" and "What the Rest of the World Wants" on governance and technology.
To see the blog entry during event click here

5. Brainstorming sessions on the role of capacity development (and governance) in the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, Paris, France (July 20-23): A multistakeholder group of donors, partner countries and civil society organizations met in Paris (July 20-23) to strategize on how to strengthen the outcomes of this important meeting of ministers--to take place in early September in Accra, Ghana. The Accra meeting's main aim is to improve the effectiveness of international development assistance. Meeting under the auspices of the OECD/DAC and the Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD), the brainstorming sessions sought to define more concrete outcomes that could be agreed in Ghana. In recent years, the concept of capacity development has received increased attention as critical factor in achieving sustainable development and aid effectiveness. Research has furnished broad evidence and development practitioners learned from experience that capacity development –defined by the OECD/DAC as supporting "the process whereby people, organizations, and society as a whole unleash, strengthen, create, adapt and maintain capacity over time"—should be a central focus of all international development efforts. Capacity development is thus closely related to governance, and success in capacity development efforts depends not only on improving technical skills and organizational performance, but also on an engaged society that demands improved outcomes from their governments. The brainstorming resulted in a set of recommendations to various technical groups where capacity development will be treated within the Accra forum. For more information on this process, the specific proposals and the plans for Accra, contact Mark Nelson (mnelson1@worldbank.org).

6. Strategic Choices for Education Reform, Washington DC (July 14, 2008): The World Bank Institute Education Program (WBIHD) delivered its Strategic Choices for Education Reform core course for UNICEF Education Field Officers. Presentation given by Daniel Kaufmann at The Rights Based Approach to Education Reform session titled "Human Rights, Governance, and Development: Empirics Refuting Convention?".
View presentation  (136 kb PDF).
View Agenda (148 kb PDF)

7. The Fifth Pan-Commonwealth Forum for Open Learning, London, UK, (July 13-18, 2008): The objective of the event was to present the World Bank Institute's Parliamentary Strengthening Program series of thirteen online learning modules that were developed to support established and new client parliaments through the use of new technologies. The Fifth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning has become one of the world's leading conferences on learning and global development. PCF5 in London at the Institute of Education explored how open and distance learning can help achieve international development goals and education for all. The conference theme was "Access to Learning for Development" with a focus on governance, conflict and social justice. Participation also allowed the parliamentary program to draw on the experience of leaders in the field of open learning. Some 700 delegates from over 70 countries participated in the event. For more information, contact Rick Stapenhurst (rstapenhurst@worldbank.org).

8. World Justice Forum, Vienna, Austria (July 2-5, 2008): The Forum brought together hundreds of leaders from diverse disciplines around the world and launched a new multidisciplinary, multinational movement to strengthen the rule of law. Invitees included past and current heads of state, presidents of multilateral institutions, CEOs of multinational corporations, labor leaders, and directors of key nongovernmental organizations from 112 countries. The Forum featured discussions on multidisciplinary approaches to advancing the rule of law. In addition, the findings of the scholarship sponsored by the World Justice Project (WJP) were presented, as was the WJP's newly created Rule of Law Index and the results of Index field testing in India, Chile, Nigeria, and the United States. Daniel Kaufmann is a member of the World Justice Project.  

9. Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, General Meeting, Tbilisi, Georgia (June 25-27, 2008): Event promoted anti-corruption efforts across the region, including exchange of information, elaboration of best practices and enhanced donor coordination. The meeting reviewed progress in fighting corruption and shared direct experiences and good practices, including, for the first time, discussion of the role of business in fighting corruption and the importance of promoting business integrity on which WBI provided its expert input. Some 120 representatives of government, civil society and private sector from the range of Eastern European and Central Asian countries. Partners were OECD, Government of Georgia, American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative. For more information, contact Michael Jarvis (mjarvis@worldbank.org)

10. Learning Event on Improving Government Performance and Accountability: Implications for Growth and Competitiveness, Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina (June 23-25, 2008). For more information contact Kiran Choudhry (kchoudry@worldbank.org) or Anwar Shah (ashah@worldbank.org).

11. Book Launch of "Broadcasting, Voice, and Accountability: A Public Interest Approach to Policy, Law, and Regulation," World Bank Headquarters, Washington, D.C. (June 17, 2008): This book, by Steve Buckley, Kreszentia Duer, Toby Mendel and Sean O Siochru with Monroe E. Price and Marc Raboy, provides guidelines, tools, and real world examples to help assess and reform the enabling environment for media development that serves public interest goals. It builds on a growing awareness of the role of media and voice in the promotion of transparent and accountable governance, in the empowerment of people to better exercise their rights and hold leaders to account; and in support of equitable development including improved livelihoods, health, and access to education. For more information click here

12. Media Sustainability Index for Africa, launch events on June 12 in Washington and on May 27 in Ottawa: For the first time, a major collection of comparative country data on the state of the media in Africa has been compiled in the newly released Media Sustainability Index (MSI) for Africa. The MSI, an index that is in its sixth year in the Europe-Central Asia region and which was launched in the Middle East North Africa region 2005, has now been extended to provide in depth analyses of the strength and viability of the independent media sector throughout 37 sub-Saharan countries. For more information click here

13. Parliamentary Budget Oversight - Training for the Sudanese National Assembly, Khartoum, Sudan (June 9 -11, 2008): In collaboration with the Parliamentary Center, the World Bank Institute held a seminar for Members of Parliament on Parliamentary Budget Oversight from June 9 to 11, 2008 in Khartoum, Sudan. This learning activity was designed to strengthen the capacity of Members of Parliament to perform their financial oversight function and to equip them with the tools to analyze government budgets to ensure they met development objectives. For more information please contact Paulina Biernacka pbiernacka@worldbank.org.

14. Executive Development Program on Inclusive and Sustainable Business: Creating Markets with the Poor, Preston Auditorium, World Bank Headquarters, Washington, DC (June 11, 2008): Panel on "The Corruption Challenge in High Risk Environments". Moderator was John Sullivan, Executive Director, Center for International Private Enterprise and panelists included Roderick Hills, Founder and Chairman of the Hills Program on Governance at CSIS, Daniel Kaufmann, Director, Governance and Anti-Corruption, World Bank Institute, Lee Tashjian, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Fluor Corporation, Pascale Dubois, Sanctions Evaluation and Suspension Officer, World Bank Group. For more details contact Djordjija Petkoski dpetkoski@worldbank.org or click here.

15. Panel on "Fighting Corruption through Collective Action," Preston Auditorium, World Bank Headquarters, Washington, DC (June 11, 12:30-1:45): Panelists debated the challenges of designing and implementing effective collective action initiatives. The World Bank Institute also previewed a new guide and accompanying web portal "Fighting Corruption Through Collective Action--Resources for Business" that it had developed with a business-oriented group of organizations from the private and civil sectors. Panelists included Georg Kell, Executive Director of United Nations Global Compact, Nancy Boswell, President and CEO, Transparency International, USA, Lee Tashjian, Vice President, Fluor Corporation, John Sullivan, Executive Director, Center for International Private Enterprise, and Sanjay Pradhan, Sector Director, World Bank.

16. 18th World Economic Forum on Africa (June 4-6, 2008): Participation of Daniel Kaufmann, Director, Governance and Anti-Corruption, World Bank Institute, in several interactive sessions during event held in Capetown, South Africa.

17. Conference "El Papel del Fortalecimiento Institucional en el Desarrollo", Madrid, Spain (June 2-3, 2008): Keynote address and presentations in Spanish by Daniel Kaufmann, Director, Governance and Anti-Corruption, World Bank Institute on governance and institutional strengthening organized by CODESPA Foundation and Instituto Universitario de Estudios Europeos, Universidad San Pablo, Madrid, Spain.

18. Lunch Seminar on India Corruption Surveys (June 3, 2008): The Center for Media Studies is an independent, not for profit national level organization in India. It is a multi-disciplinary development research and facilitative body of eminent professionals nationally known for its advocacy initiatives. The Center is bout to finalize its nationwide corruption study which measures perception, experience, and estimation of corruption. The first of its kind national study (covering 31 states, 11 services and a sample of around 23000 'below poverty line' households) uses the Center's unique PEE (Perception, Experience & Estimation) ethodology to understand the complex phenomenon of corruption. CMS has pioneered the methodology of quantifying both perception (P) and experience (E), and based on these two dimensions, estimation (E) of corruption. The India Corruption Study 2005, done by CMS with partial support of Transparency International-India (TII) has been apioneering study on the subject. Its India Corruption Study - 2007, focusing on below povertyline (BPL) households and covering all parts of the country - again with the support of TII, iscurrently under finalization and is expected to be out in mid June 2008.

19. Roundtable Event on Information Flows and Records Management as a basis for Access to Information at the Local Government level in Bangladesh, Dhaka (June 2, 2008): The overall objective of the event is to discuss recommendations and exchange ideas among various stakeholders to (i) strengthen capacity for improved information flows from the government to the citizenry, and, (ii) strengthen records management as a basis for access to information. The event will review the study results prepared in coordination with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and the International Records Management Trust focusing on access to information and records management at the local government level. The World Bank Institute, in close collaboration with the country team and the World Bank country office, has organized this event. For more information contact Marcos Mendiburu mmendiburu@worldbank.orgorMita Chakraborty mchakraborty@worldbank.org

More detailed information on past events is available on our Calendar of Events

 II. SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS

1. Governance and Anti-Corruption, Workshop. Washington DC (September 6-17, 2008). 
In September, the World Bank Institute will organize a Capacity Enhancement Program on the request of the Thai Government. The Capacity Enhancement Program aims at providing 40 high level officials with in-depth knowledge of Good Governance and Anti-Corruption strategies. The program will result in participants drafting context specific action plans to improve the Governance in their respective agency. Moreover, the program will strengthen the professional networks amongst the participants representing different agencies. The program is organized in collaboration with the Civil Service Commission of Thailand For more information contact Maria Gonzalez de Asis (mgonzalezasis@worldbank.org) or Carolina Vaira (cvaira@worldbank.org)

2. Public Expenditure Analysis Regional Workshop (with MEFMI), Maputo, Mozambique (July 28-August 12, 2008). For more information, contact: Raj Nallari (Rnallari@worldbank.org)

3. Fifty-Fourth Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (August 5-10, 2008): For more information, contact Mitchell O'Brien (obrien@worldbank.org).

4. Training for the Iraqi Parliament's Constitutional Review Committee, Bern, Switzerland (August 17-23, 2008): For more information, contact Mitchell O'Brien (mobrien@worldbank.org).

5. Worldwide Governance Indicators - Workshop, San Salvador, El Salvador (August 19, 2008). In August 2008, the World Bank Institute will organize a workshop which will bring together key stakeholders from around the country to discuss salient features and main findings of the Worldwide Governance Indicators project and explore complementarities with other in-depth measurements of governance for the specific case of El Salvador. This workshop will provide the starting point of the forthcoming governance and anti-corruption diagnostics that the country is undertaking to evaluate governance performance in the judicial sector. For more information contact Massimo Mastruzzi, (mmastruzzi@worldbank.org).

6. Parliamentary Professional Development Course Effective Financial Scrutiny: The Role of Parliament in Public Finance (July 28 - August 21, 2008): The World Bank Institute (WBI) in partnership with the Center for Democratic Institutions (CDI) will conduct a course for parliamentary staff. The course will consist of 8 VC sessions connecting participants from Indonesia, Australia, USA, Timor Leste, PNG, Kiribati and Fiji. The course will discuss the following issues: The Evolution of Parliament's Power of the Purse, Introducing the Budget, The Budget Process, Parliamentary Approval of the Budget, Parliament and the Audit of Public Accounts, Opening up the Parliamentary Process, Strengthening Parliamentary Involvement. For more information please contact: Rick Stapenhurst (fstapenhurst@worldbank.org) or Paulina Biernacka (pbiernacka@worldbank.org).

7. Parliamentary Indicators and Benchmarks - International Seminar and Workshop, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia (September 21-23, 2008). In September 2008, the World Bank Institute and Griffith University's Politics and Public Policy Department will organize an international seminar and workshop which will bring together all of the key organizations working to develop parliamentary indicators and benchmarks with the aim of developing a generally accepted framework to measure parliamentary performance. For more information contact Frederick Staphenhurst, (fstapenhurst@worldbank.org) or Paulina Biernacka (pbiernacka@worldbank.org).

  III. PAPERS AND PUBLICATIONS

Listing of new publications in brief below. More detailed information is available on our Publications and Research page.

1. Governance Matters VII: Governance Indicators for 1996-2007, by Daniel Kaufmann, Aart Kraay and Massimo Mastruzzi World Bank Research paper #4654, June 2008.

2. On Democracy and Development: Rejecting the Extremesby Daniel Kaufmann, EJournalUSA, U.S. Department of State, June 2008 Volume 13 / Number 6.

For Spanish version click here

3. Book Broadcasting, Voice, and Accountability: A Public Interest Approach to Policy, Law, and Regulation, by Steve Buckley, Kreszentia Duer, Toby Mendel and Sean o Siochru with Monroe E. Price and Marc Raboy. June 2008.

4.Governance Indicators: Where Are We, Where Should We Be Going?  by Daniel Kaufmann and Aart Kraay, World Bank Research Observer (WBRO), January 2008.

5.Simon Johnson, Chief Economist, International Monetary Fund (53.8 kb PDF).(IMF: Comment on ‘Where Are We, Where Should We Be Going?"World Bank Research Observer (WBRO), January 2008, and, similarly, Shantayanan Devarajan, Chief Economist, South Asia Region of the World Bank, Comment on the same survey paper by Kaufmann and Kraay, January 2008.

IV. DATA & INFORMATICS ON GOVERNANCE

Interactive Access to the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI)
The set of indicators for 1996-2007 is available here
Or for access to the main page on the WGI aggregate governance indicators, click here  

Media Sustainability Index for Africa

The new “Governance Matters” blog at the World Bank

On-line Inventory of Governance Datasets and Indicators
A comprehensive overview of the available datasets on governance is available here

V. GOVERNANCE DIAGNOSTIC CAPACITY BUILDING

Contact: Susana Carrillo (scarrillo@worldbank.org), Edouard Al-Dahdah (ealdahdah@worldbank.org), Massimo Mastruzzi (mmastruzzi@worldbank.org), or Marieta Fall (mfall4@worldbank.org)

HAITI: The country has been engaged in the dissemination of the results of the GAC survey in the provinces set to be completed in September 2008. Haiti's Unite de Lutte Contre la Corruption (ULCC) has been mandated to develop a national anti-corruption strategy building on the results of the diagnostic survey. The organization also organized various seminars with the populations in all provinces from 2004 to 2007 in order to better capture the Haitian people's expectations with regards to the fight against corruption. The diagnostic combined with the consultations with the populations is helping inform the strategy.

BURUNDI: The Governance and Anti-Corruption (GAC) diagnostic survey in Burundi has been completed and validated by the survey steering committee comprising members of government and civil society organizations. The Minister of Good Governance is leading the preparation of the dissemination of the results of the survey to be conducted in September 2008. Dissemination activities will be carried out in Bujumbura and in all the provinces in the country through radio programs in Kirundi, the national language. The Steering Committee is mandated to assist in the preparation of a governance action plan.

BENIN: The dissemination activities for the results of the governance and corruption diagnostic survey (GAC survey) were completed by the government with WBIGP technical support and wre funded by the African Development Bank and the Embassy of Denmark. The first activity consisted of a 3-day participatory workshop in Cotonou, launched by the Ministre d'Etat Charge de l'Economie. During the workshop, 150 participants from government and civil society were able to identify constraints and opportunities for governance reform in priority sectors. A workshop for journalists was also conducted to raise media awareness on their role in promoting good governance. The national workshop was followed by dissemination activities of the survey results in the 12 departments of the country. Recommendations from the dissemination workshops in Cotonou and in the regions will be integrated into a governance and anti-corruption strategy.

EL SALVADOR: Following a scoping mission in Mid-April, the government of El Salvador has officially requested World Bank assistance to conduct a governance diagnostics focused on the judicial sector, the results of which would be used to help design effective policies and strategies to improve the sector's governance and performance. A second mission is planned in mid-August to consult with key stakeholders on the design of the project, focusing on creating further awareness, as well as helping establish steering committees that are truly representative and inclusive. The mission will also organize focus groups aimed at identifying key priority areas within the judicial sector that will provide important feedback for the survey questionnaires.

GUATEMALA: Following a scoping mission in Mid-April, the government of Guatemala has officially requested World Bank assistance to conduct a governance diagnostics, the results of which would be used to help design effective policies and strategies to fight corruption through an improvement in governance and public sector performance. A second mission is in the planning stages to consult with key stakeholders on the design of the project, focusing on creating further awareness, as well as helping establish steering committees that are truly representative and inclusive. The mission will also organize focus groups aimed at identifying key priority areas that will provide important feedback for the survey questionnaires.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: In support of a national decentralization project WBI's diagnostic work focuses on provincial-level citizen report cards in the sectors health, education, agriculture and drinking water. The provinces covered are Bandundu, Katanga and South-Kivu. The procurement process for selecting a research firm is now underway and the coordinators of the three provincial steering committees will meet in Kinshasa in Mid-May at WBI's GAC conference to discuss next steps. This provincial-level assessment will provide a baseline of current conditions and will be used as an indicator for the World Bank's Governance Capacity Enhancement Project (GCEP). A planned second diagnostic analysis will help evaluate to which degree enhanced governance capacity in DRC provinces – as aspired by the Bank's GCEP – leads to better service delivery and public services with higher integrity.

MADAGASCAR: As part of the Governance and Anti-Corruption workshop in Kinshasa we are preparing country case studies in the form of short films that illustrate how Madagascar has taken ownership of assessing the quality and integrity of its public services, how it used results to design a national action plan and modify institutional arrangements, which impact these arrangements have and which obstacles the country has to face in that process. Seven local video production companies have been contacted and one has been selected. The procurement is about to be finalized. In parallel the filming and interviews with several national agencies and service users has been arranged.

MAURITANIA: Final preparations for the field implementation of the survey pilot and main data gathering will be completed during an April 19-30th mission to Nouakchott. During the mission the World Bank Institute and the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network Public Sector (WBI/PREMPS) team will meet with the firm chosen to administer the questionnaires as well as civil society and government counterparts.

REPUBLIC OF YEMEN: In support of a national anticorruption project led by the Yemen's Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption (SNACC) WBI's diagnostic work in Yemen will survey households, public service users and public officials about their perceptions and self-reported experiences of corruption and the quality of service delivery in the sectors of health, infrastructure and energy. A survey firm, the Yemen Polling Center has been identified and contracted with. Three focus groups will be held on governance in public hospitals, and in governance of the roads system during the month of June and survey work will begin in July 2008. This sector-level assessment will provide a baseline of current conditions and will provide inputs for the formation by SNACC of a national anticorruption strategy and action plan.

VI. PARTNERSHIPS

Transparency International Among other services, TI produces different types of ratings on corruption.

Mo Ibrahim Foundation index for African countries

Governance Knowledge Initiative with the Development Gateway Foundation

The Knowledge Networks Agency (KNA) for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Ethics World

Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)

InWEnt

VII. OTHER LANGUAGES: SPANISH, FRENCH, PORTUGUESE, ARABIC, ETC.

Gobernanza en espanol

Gouvernance en francais

Governanca em portugues

Governance in Other Languages(Chinese, Dutch, German, Greek and Russian)

Press Release of the Worldwide Governance Indicators launch in other languages (Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish, French and Russian) is available here

VIII. IN THE NEWS: WBI GOVERNANCE WORK FEATURED IN THE MEDIA

In addition to other recent coverage of our research and analytical work, on June 9th the New York Times, in an article in the Business section, entitled “Now Professors Get Their Star Rankings, Too", focuses on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN), an increasingly influential site which now offers nearly 150,000 full-text documents for downloading. The article features a list of 'The Hot 5' articles according to the SSRN download rankings. Featured as the # 2 in this ranking is the DEC/WBI research paper in the World Bank’s Policy Research Series entitled “Governance Matters VI", authored by D. Kaufmann, A. Kraay, and M. Mastruzzi.

Recent newslettersalso highlighted the write-up on our governance and rule of law studies in The Economist, as well as the highly positive assessment on our governance work by the Volcker Commission that reviewed Anti-Corruption at the World Bank (with recommendations for follow-up).

For a complete list where WBI governance work is featured and further details on News Articles & Media Mentions in various languages, click here

For news articles and Press Release specifically on the latest Governance Matters VII report, click here

WBI Governance and Anti-Corruption Homepage

In-Country Governance Diagnostic Surveys

Worldwide Governance Indicatorsfor 1996-2007

Newsletter Archive

Governance Databank

Media Articles

One-page Briefs on Corruption

On Blogging

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