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Public examinations in developing countries play a critical role in the selection of students for participation in the educational system. The exams dictate what is taught, how it is taught, and what is and is not learned. They are academic, have...

This booklet introduces the reader to the tools of functional analysis - management audit - applicable to the organisational specificies of national education ministries. The audit is a critical analysis, aimed at identifying what works, and what...

In 1995/96, 47.5 percent of the population of Bangladesh were still living below the poverty line. This paper argues that the persistence of poverty in Bangladesh originates less in the lack of resources than in the failures of governance. These...

The practice whereby some public money is illicitly diverted for private gain is present to some degree in all societies. Developing countries' particular circumstances - rapid economic and social change, strong kinship and ethnic ties, new...

Corruption, particularly political or "grand corruption", distorts the entire decision-making process connected with public investment projects. The degree of distorsions is higher with weaker auditing institutions. The evidence presented shows that...

The author reviews the overwhelming statistical evidence that countries with high levels of corruption experience poor economic performance. Corruption hinders economic development by reducing domestic investment, discouraging foreign direct...

This volume describes the results of a Regional Conference of Transparency International representatives, held in Bratislava, in April 1999. It is structured into three main parts. Firstly, the Declaration for Municipal Reform, set by the...

Building strong institutions is a central challenge of development and is key to controlling corruption. Among public institutions, the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) play a critical role, as they help promote sound financial management and thus...

Corruption is problematic when policies encourage it and institutional controls are weak. Diagnosing corruption, and understanding its causes and consequences, allows countries to overcome their policy and institutional weaknesses and implement...

Data that can be used to inform policy decisions are typically scarce in low-income countries, where standard policy prescriptions are less likely to apply. But if strategically designed, a survey can help induce policy change by pointing directly to...