News & Updates

On July 1, 2020, the Partnership for Transparency (PTF) and the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) hosted experts from Asia, Africa, Europe and the United States…

We are alive and kicking! Our physical office at the OpenGov Hub in Washington, DC is closed (pending further notice) but we are working from home, continuing to respond to…

PTF is delighted to report on the initiation of four new projects in the past three months valued together at more than $ 1 million.

Vitor Gaspar, Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Fiscal Affairs Department, presented the IMF’s Fiscal Monitor report on corruption at the latest PTF Anti Corruption Forum event. The event, co-sponsored by the Center for…

Vitor Gaspar, Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Fiscal Affairs Department, presented the IMF’s Fiscal Monitor report on corruption at the latest PTF Anti Corruption Forum event. The event, co-sponsored by the Center for…

As a partner of the Transparency, Accountability & Participation Network (TAP) Network, PTF has signed onto the "Rome Civil Society Declaration on SDG16+", which outlines key recommendations and a broad…

On May 3, PTF's Chief Technical Adviser, Vinay Bhargava, made a presentation at the 2019 Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting Civil Society Program on Myths and Realities of CSOs Promoting…

The India Development Relief Fund (IDRF) has partnered with PTF to play a leading role in three Health Transparency Initiatives (HTIs) in India. The first, a Quality Improvement of Public…

On September 20, 2018, UNA-NCA's International Law Committee and The Partnership for Transparency Fund presented The Critical Challenges of Human Trafficking and Corruption before an overflow crowd at the United Nations Foundation.

The Center for International Private Enterprise and Partnership for Transparency jointly hosted a public forum on December 8, 2017 in Washington DC on “Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Anti-Corruption Reform.” The…

Fighting corruption and waste in procurement requires not only capable procurement professionals, but also a strong civil society to monitor suspicious activity and engage authorities. Partnership for Transparency (PTF) teamed…

The Partnership for Transparency and the Cyprus Integrity Forum signed a memorandum of understanding on June 26, 2018 for cooperation aimed at fighting corruption and promoting transparency and integrity through avenues…

We are excited to release our 2017 Annual Report showing how Partnership for Transparency (PTF) has created and sustained impact throughout 2017, building on now 17 years of work promoting and supporting…

Partnership for Transparency is pleased to announce it has joined the TAP Network 2030 as a partner organization. The Transparency Accountability & Participation (TAP) Network 2030 is  broad network of…

Project i-Pantawid partners and stakeholders shared and discussed case stories of how citizens and government engaged each other that resulted in improved health and education service delivery, reduced benefit gaps,…

Featuring Pascale Hélène Dubois, Vice President, Integrity, World Bank Group Kathrin Frauscher, Deputy and Program Director, Open Contracting Partnership Hasan Tuluy, Board Director, Partnership for Transparency and former Vice President,…

"The effect of civic leadership training on citizen engagement and government responsiveness: experimental evidence from the Philippines" investigated the impact of civic leadership training on citizen participation and government responsiveness…

On October 12, Partnership for Transparency hosted its partner Pansy Tun Thein, Executive Director of the Local Resource Centre, an umbrella organization of over a 1,000 CSOs in Myanmar. Pansy…

On October 11, the Partnership for Transparency sponsored a panel on civil society roles in engaging citizens World Bank projects at the World Bank Civil Society Policy Forum. The event brought…

On September 18th, the Partnership for Transparency’s Anti-Corruption Forum partnered with Brookings, the IMF, the World Bank, and the IFC to bring high level panelists from a variety of backgrounds to…

The Partnership for Transparency (PTF) is pleased to announce the establishment of a new affiliate in South Africa – Partnership for Transparency Fund Africa (PTF-Africa). “To maximize our impact and…

On July 18th, Partnership for Transparency’s Anti-Corruption Forum and Hudson Institute’s Kleptocracy Initiative hosted a discussion on the U.S. Government’s response to kleptocracy and money laundering around the globe, featuring…

On July 5, the 1818 Society hosted a discussion on the World Bank’s anti-corruption policies, lessons learned since the 1996 “Cancer of Corruption” speech, and programmatic plans going forward. The…

On May 10, the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) and the Partnership for Transparency’s Anti-Corruption Forum co-hosted an event at George Mason University, featuring Laurence Cockcroft discussing his most…

At the Asian Development Bank's 50th Annual Meetings, Partnership for Transparency and World Vision hosted Promoting Inclusive Accountable Public Services in Asia and the Pacific ...

Above left to right: Oscar Cabello, Trinidad Inostroza, Donal O’Leary Donal O’Leary, PTF’s Procurement Working Group leader, and Oscar Cabello, a local PTF Advisor in Chile, visited ChileCompra headquarters on March 24th, in Santiago.  They had…

In many developing countries, quality health care is compromised by a lack of oversight at the local level. Poor pay, difficult living conditions and little supervision create a situation rife…

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) announced the launch of a two-year program to strengthen…

On February 17, 2016, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) celebrated 15 years of supporting civil society organizations (CSOs) in developing countries that work to promote citizen demand for transparency,…

The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) hosted a seminar November 3, 2016 to explore the experience of citizen engagement in health service delivery. Representatives from USAID and the World Bank participated…

On October 7, 2016 the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) co-sponsored a panel at the World Bank’s Civil Society Policy Forum entitled “Civil Society and Development: Six Global Trends and…

Seeking to reflect the growing importance of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in international development, and the ways in which they can help implement and monitor governance improvement actions under the…

The disease of corruption: views on how to fight corruption to advance 21st century global health goals. A new article from the journal BMC MEDICINE with articles by experts from…

Doing Accountability Differently: A proposal for the vertical integration of civil society monitoring and advocacy is a recently released U4 Anti-Corruption Research Centre Issue Paper co-written by Jonathan Fox of…

The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF), an international non-profit that supports citizen-led action to promote transparency and accountability in developing countries, is pleased to announce the establishment of a new…

The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) hosted a seminar on June 23, 2016 with Citizen Action for Results, Transparency and Accountability (CARTA) Program Director, Tjaarda Storm van Leeuwen, highlighting the…

The inclusion of citizen engagement in development programs, including those supporting the health sector, is based on the premise that giving citizens a voice will help ensure that programs are…

On May 19th, PTF joined the MIT Governance Lab (MIT Gov-Lab) and Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Governance (CCAGG) to share experiences surrounding a joint effort to encourage citizen…

On May 19th, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) participated in a panel discussion on “New Frontiers in Citizen Engagement in World Bank Projects” at the annual GPSA Global Partners…

PTF's local partner in Cameroon, the International Governance Institution - Focal Integrity Team Cameroon (IGI-FITCAM) recently conducted a four day intensive training course for 40 newly elected Ambassadors of Ethics at…

Civil society’s place in development has changed significantly over the last 15 years. PTF has analyzed several global trends concerning these changes and their implications for various stakeholders in a…

Youth for Social Development (YSD) is a PTF partner with a commitment to improve accountable governance, bring transparency in utilization of public funds and ensure its efficient and equitable utilization of tax…

March 17, 2016 - Recent years have witnessed concerns about issues of government effectiveness and accountability, particularly in the delivery ...

Ahead of the UK Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Summit, to be held in London in May, the Parliament's International Development Committee is inquiring into the direction and effectiveness of the Department…

On February 9, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF), the Global Partnership for Social Accountability, and the Social Protection and Labor Global Practice at the World Bank held a discussion…

On February 17, 2016, I attended an event celebrating 15 years of operation of the Washington-based Partnership for Transparency Fund. The PTF, founded by former staff members of the World…

Over the last 15 years, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) has been at the forefront of innovation to improve governance, increase transparency, promote the rule of law and reduce…

The adoption of governance focused SDG #16 and its targets is being claimed a great victory for proponents of good governance. All UN member states approved the goal to “build…

Conditional cash transfer programs (CCTPs) are widely used in the world and are proving effective in generating proven poverty alleviation impacts. However, CCTP achievements are undermined by fraud, errors, and…

Just a few weeks ago, 193 countries of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Members of the OGP Steering Committee also endorsed the Joint Declaration…

PTF's local partner in the Philippines - the Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government (CCAGG) - has won the prestigious Galing Pook Citizenship Award for community based monitoring of…

There is a growing movement for governments to call for greater citizen participation in the design and implementation of public policies and programs. This brief explores these trends, outlines the benefits , and…

The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) has published a report on "Improving Development Outcomes through Citizen Engagement" containing lessons learned and recommendations for the future on the use of social…

PTF recently approved a $35,000 grant to the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM) in Belgrade, Serbia, to establish a regional network in the Western Balkans that aims to strengthen…

I had the great pleasure of representing the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) at the African Development Bank’s (AfDB’s) Annual meetings on from May 25 - 30, 2015 in Abidjan,…

On May 27 I had the pleasure of serving as a panelist at an event organized by the Governance Thematic Group of 1818 Society of the World Bank Group (WBG)…

The engagement of civil society organisations and communities in monitoring development projects increases citizen awareness and participation in taxpayer-funded programmes, a new report found ...

A workshop on “Improving Development Outcomes through Citizen Engagement,’ to review the lessons learned through the Citizen Action for Results, Transparency and Accountability (CARTA) Program, concluded today at the Lakeshore…

Balancing actions to expose corruption with non-confrontation is not always easy in Cameroon where the challenge of corruption is high and visible to ordinary citizens on a daily basis. Again,…

Through a small grant from the USAID/Food for Peace-funded Technical and Operational Performance Support (TOPS) Program, Land O’Lakes’ International Development collaborated with Cultural Practice, Development and Training Services, Inc. (dTS),…

I was asked by the ADB to facilitate a round-table discussion on the topic  “Constructive Engagement Process between Governments and CSOs: Are We Getting Results?—Experiences and Lessons from Asia”. The…

PTF e.V. has just released it's 2014 Annual Report covering the organization's inaugural year. Despite its relatively short existence, PTF e.V. has managed to establish its presence, build an impressive…

On October 9th, PTF’s Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Vinay Bhargava, participated in a panel sponsored by CIVICUS focused on harnessing information and Communications Technology (ICT) to monitor and shape development…

On October 7, 2014, PTF representatives had the opportunity to share their experiences on youth involvement in anti-corruption initiatives at the World Bank's Youth Summit. The Summit convened young civil…

Safety net programs help provide opportunities and increase the quality of life for the poor in developing countries. Yet they are prime targets for corruption due their decentralized and complex…

Citizens globally are increasingly concerned with and demanding actions to confront poor governance and corruption. In response, civil society’s role has evolved to meet their needs –from simple watchdogs to…

Over the past 14 years, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) has supported civil society activists in developing democracies working to engage citizens in the demand for good governance. Our…

PTF advances innovative citizen-led approaches to improve governance, increase transparency, promote the rule of law and reduce corruption in developing countries. Throughout 2013, PTF provided support for the incubation phase…

PTF has moved its Washington, DC based office to the OpenGov Hub, a workspace for transparency and accountability minded organizations. We’re excited to get to work with our new office…

Between 2007 and 2012 the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF) program provided about $200 million USD for around 1,000 transparency and accountability projects…

On July 14th, PTF's Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Vinay Bhargava, moderated an Roundtable Discussion hosted by the Government of the Philippines, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank…

In a presentation to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on July 10, 2014, Vinay Bhargava called for increased support for citizen-led programs. He specifically drew from examples of PTF supported…

PTF's Chief Technical Officer, Vinay Bhargava, has been busy during a visit to Japan to share lessons of experience for grassroots anti-corruption interventions. Only July 7th, Dr. Bhargava was in Kobe,…

At the Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) Global Partners Forum in May 2014, World Bank President Jim Kim called the program, which aims to bring together civil society and…

Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report: Education (2013) reinforces the notion that corruption inhibits social and economic development and may even jeopardize stability of a nation’s education system. Opportunity for corruption…

On May 14, 2014, the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) launched the Barry Metzger Rule of Law Initiative at the law offices of Baker & McKenzie in Washington, DC. The initiative is designed to respect the humanitarian…

Michael Lippe, a valued Project Adviser to the Partnership for Transparency Fund, died on Monday, April 28th, 2014 of pancreatic cancer. His capacity to push-on, working to aid the poorest…

PTF’s Board Chair, Anabel Cruz, and Chief Technical Adviser, Vinay Bhargava, were quoted in an article written by Stella Dawson on citizen-led anti-corruption interventions. Anabel Cruz “warned of fatigue among poor…

Access to anti-malarial medications are essential to human, economic, and social development in affected areas, but are frequently compromised by poor governance and lack of accountability. Life-saving medications go missing…

Pervasive corruption plagues health service delivery across developing and emerging market countries. Nurses and doctors extort payments from the poor for services that should be free. Counterfeit drugs are sent…

The World Bank supported Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) has selected eight final development projects proposed by civil society organizations from a total of 428 proposals that were made.…

Sir, Michael Holman (“The west lays itself a trap over Uganda’s anti-gay laws”, March 6) is highly perceptive in his analysis of how western donors have responded to Uganda’s determination…

After almost 15 years of working with over 100 CSOs in more than 50 countries, time and time again PTF-supported projects have demonstrated the power of women’s perspectives, knowledge and…

Sir, William Easterly (“Western vanities that do little to help the world’s poor”, January 25) ignores the reductions in poverty that targeted official aid, foundation grants and individual philanthropy are…

A review "Citizens Against Corruption" rolled in at #10 on the World Bank's list of Top Ten Blog Posts by Readership in 2013. Click here to read the blog written by Duncan Green,…

Freedom Observatory, an independent, non-partisan think tank featuring international relations and political analysis, interviewed PTF Vice-Chair Frank Vogl on corruption and the work of the Partnership for Transparency Fund in their…

Richard Stern has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of The Partnership for Transparency Fund, effective January 1, 2014. Stern, a former World Bank Vice President, takes over PTF’s…

The events right now in Ukraine, Turkey, India and China, where each is very different in detail, yet where public anti-corruption pressures are central, underscores how increasingly powerful and how…

Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) recently launched the pilot phase of a flagship program – Citizen Action Platform (CAP) – in the Apac region of Uganda. CAP is pioneering a…

PTF joins all citizens of the world in celebrating International Anti-Corruption Day, today 9th December 2013, by endorsing the call of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make fighting corruption…

Washington-based Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) is pleased to announce that an affiliate not-for-profit organization, the Partnerschaft Fonds für Transparenz Eingetragener Verein (PTF e.V.) has been established in Munich/Germany, expanding…

Is it realistic to expect citizens to hold service providers accountable given the huge asymmetry of power between the two, or are we setting unrealistic expectations that citizen engagement interventions…

John Clark, an international development consultant, former civil society activist and adviser to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, was commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), and by…

John Clark, an international development consultant, former civil society activist and adviser to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, was commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), and by…

Steve Ettinger, PTF Advisor and team leader on PTF’s projects in Latin America, including the FONTRA program, died on July 31 after a four year valiant and determined battle against…

In June, the Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy Magazine published the 2013 Failed States Index, an annual report ranking a country’s stability based on twelve social, economic, and political…

PTF Chief Technical Adviser to speak at two seminars in Switzerland to discuss PTF's work and the new book Citizens Against Corruption: Report from the Frontline by PTF co-founder and…

Join us tomorrow at the OpenGov Hub for a special Brown-Bag Lunch (BBL) session with Pierre Landell-Mills, co-founder and former president of PTF, who will present his new book Citizens…

Our experience underscores that governments will only be accountable if their citizens consistently and persistently demand accountability. Continuous organized citizen engagement is essential. Popular mass movements can change regimes, but…

The Partnership for Transparency Fund is being support by the  Asian Development Bank (ADB) in a one-year project in the Philippines to improve the capacities of stakeholders – local governments and…

Guest Blog By Kim Sung-Soo, Executive Director, Transparency International - Korea, which has been a global leader in civil society in educating young people about the curse of corruption and…

The system that enables powerful politicians and their business cronies to act as if they are above the law in Bangladesh has been horribly exposed by the rising death toll…

The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF), supporting civil society organizations to curb corruption and promote government transparency and accountability, has established the “Barry Metzger Rule of Law Initiative.” Mr. Metzger,…

Many governments do not have all the financial resources required to expand, maintain, and operate their country’s infrastructure. Also in search of more investment efficiency, several countries have adopted public-private…

PTF Board Director Dante de los Angeles chaired a PTF seminar at the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank on May 5, 2013 in New Delhi: "How Civil Society Empowerment…

Over the last dozen years The Partnership for Transparency Fund has support with money and expert advice more than 200 projects across the developing world to reduce corruption. Now, in…

In the State of Orissa in India, the government claims to provide for not only free delivery to women giving birth, but also an incentive payment for choosing institutional delivery…

Barry Metzer, a founding Board Member of the Partnership for Transparency Fund and for a dozen years its beacon and moral compass, died on Saturday, December 22, 2012 of complications…

The Philippines have long been plagued by endemic corruption, including graft, bribery, and extortion.  A lacking and complex regulatory system and low institutional oversight to enforce existing regulations contribute to…

Frank Vogl, co-founder of both Transparency International and the Partnership for Transparency Fund has published Waging War on Corruption: Inside the Movement Fighting the Abuse of Power. At PTF we…

PTF was selected by the Asian Development Bank to work with Bhutan's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The project is aimed at enhancing the institutional capacity of the ACC focusing on the…

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) has initiated a grant of $200,000 to PTF to broaden the impact of PTF’s anti-corruption work in the Philippines. Since 2003 PTF has…

On August 22nd, the U.S. Securities and Exchanges Committee approved Section 1504, or the Cardin-Lugar provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This legislation was initially…

The Olympic Games represent a time and place for national pride, for celebrating achievement and extraordinary athletic ability, and for international unity. However, beyond the pomp and circumstance, the Olympics…

In Nigeria, a one-month old baby made $150 a month as a public sector employee. How on earth was an infant working? Thankfully for the little guy, he wasn’t. But…

Last week I was honored to be a guest speaker at the Center for Civic Media at the MIT Media Lab in Boston (click to read the live blog from…

Corruption, a universal problem, victimizes the poor bottom billion of the global population. These poor are bypassed by trickle-down growth strategies. They suffer chronic poverty. Corruption robs them of services…

Joseph Kony seems to be everywhere these days. One place where he is not however, is Uganda. Kony fled the northern part of the country with his diminished band of…

From November 29th to December 2nd, PTF hosted a peer learning and knowledge sharing workshop in Jaipur, India. The workshop was focused on engaging citizens in fighting against corruption in…

Building on over a decade of experience around governance and anti-corruption programming, PTF has launched a new program to enhance the development impact, sustainability and local ownership of World Bank-financed…

The "Transparency Wall" in Ranga Reddy village in Andhra Pradesh, India fully serves its purpose of transparency and accountability and is a great example of appropriate technology ...

After reviewing the day’s lively email correspondence from East Africa civil society organizations ranging from progress on tracking anti malaria drug distribution, to the match up of school construction project…

Three PTF funded projects were featured in recent publications by Princeton University's Innovations for Successful Societies and the World Bank's Innovative Solutions for Governance series. The Princeton paper cites the…

I’ve been asked from time to time why I became interested in the issue of corruption. Having worked at the World Bank, I was aware of the corrosive effect that…

Government accountability, right to information laws as a more effective tool than bribery, youth groups exposing use of sub standard materials in road construction, pregnant women getting the benefit of…

2011 has been a great year for Kenya in the areas of access to information and open data. First, in April 2011, Kenya Gazette Notices dating back to 1906 were…

In October 2010, 61 Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) officers were arrested on charges related to corruption.  Specifically, the police were failing “to police sex crimes and incidents of domestic…

India's mass demonstrations against corruption are being widely hailed as a successful mobilization of citizenry for a common good. But the movement is far from a unified endeavor.

The Partnership for Transparency Fund has received three grants in July 2011 totaling $2.5 million to intensify its efforts to fight corruption and promote accountable and transparent government in developing…

This report examines the impact that citizen demand for good governance (DFGG) can have on development effectiveness. It analyzes World Bank and other donor experience with support for DFGG; constraints…

The main Mid-Term Review (MTR) conclusion is its confidence that the CAC programme represents high value for money, impressive innovation, and valuable support to civil society in fighting corruption.

download the evaluation (1.4MB) “The substantial – often dramatic – benefit that can derive swiftly from PTF’s small grants is a success story worthy of wider telling”, writes John Clark,…

Download the report (1.4MB) Despite heightened priority to work with civil society under the World Bank’s recent “Governance and Anti-Corruption (GAC)” policies, a new study finds significant shortcomings. A critical…

Uganda Ethics Network Outreach (UENO) recently launched a PTF funded project in Manafwa, a large rural district along the Kenyan border in Eastern Uganda. The project aims to target misappropriation…

Last month, a contribution of US $400,000 was released to the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) for the purpose of funding anticorruption projects globally. The grant agreement was signed by…

Under the heading of “Restoring Trust: Global Action for Transparency,” more that 1,200 anti-corruption experts converged in Bangkok, Thailand for the International Anti-Corruption Conference in mid-November 2010. PTF held a…