Our curated library is packed full of knowledge, know-how and best practices in the fields of democracy and culture.
Read the latest on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other critical world events in our library of democratic content. Gathered from trusted international sources, the curated library brings you a rich resource of articles, opinion pieces and more on democracy and culture to keep you updated.
Take a look at curated library below and search by keyword (i.e. Ukraine or authoritarianism) or format (i.e. article or report) and find a tailored list of resources on the topics you're most interested in.
Digital Tools for Citizens Assemblies
"While there is no unified Citizens’ Assembly digital service, there are a number of different tools that can be used to enhance the process... We also tried to identify where innovative tools could be put to new uses, while always bearing in mind the core importance of the in-person deliberative nature of assemblies" (Parsons 2019).
Digital tools for democratic participation
This new report examines the role digital tools can have in helping democratic participation in local government - and the obstacles to success. "As a companion paper to a review of current academic research in this area, this report examines how digital tools can be used by local authorities" (Parsons, Rumbul, and Brook, 2019).
Citizens' Assembly Websites: Practical Guidance
This guide discusses "broad design and editorial principles, as well as information that should be included. While we include what we consider good practice from previous assembly websites, this is very much a first attempt at consolidating good practice rather than a definitive document" (Crow, Nixon, and Parsons, 2019).
Participatory Development: The Case for Substantive Facilitation
"Afghanistan’s Citizens’ Charter (CC) program is national in scope… the core model of facilitation must be able to adapt to a broad range of socio-economic environments. This brief unpacks the black box of ‘community,’ illustrates why facilitators matter…, lays out the substance of facilitation and the follow up that is needed" (Institute for State Effectiveness, 2019).
CDD Series: Afghanistan’s Nomadic Kuchi Population
"Afghanistan’s Nomads and Semi-Nomads are highly vulnerable and are generally excluded from development interventions. The Citizens’ Charter intends to work with this population to provide key services. This brief lays out key areas that have to be considered in the design of a pastoralist program" (Institute for State Effectiveness, 2019).
CDD Series: Poverty Alleviation
"This brief discusses various aspects of the Citizens’ Charter approach to poverty reduction. These include incorporating a deeper understanding of poverty dynamics into the program’s architecture, engaging provincial and district level authorities and programs, promoting the strategic use of poverty data to inform policy makers, and testing and then scaling up pro-poor initiatives" (Institute State Effectiveness, 2019).
CDD Series: Transparency and Accountability
"The comparative advantage of Community Driven Development (CDD) projects when it comes to controlling corruption is that they can harness social controls… to complement the more standard tools of development project oversight…. However, the risk of corruption can be high unless both formal and informal control systems are carefully designed and monitored" (Institute for State Effectiveness, 2019).
CDD Series: The Case for Substantive Facilitation
"Afghanistan’s Citizens’ Charter (CC) program is national in scope… the core model of facilitation must be able to adapt to a broad range of socio-economic environments. This brief unpacks the black box of ‘community;’ illustrates why facilitators matter…; lays out the substance of facilitation and the follow up that is needed" (Institute for State Effectiveness, 2019).
CDD Series: Elections
"This brief discusses Afghanistan’s community context, the lessons learned from the National Solidarity Program, and the design and outcomes of the new electoral system in the Citizens’ Charter Program. The implications on program design and the need to focus on detail are then reviewed" (Institute for State Effectiveness, 2019).
CDD Series: Inter-ministerial Coordination
"A foundation of post-conflict state-building is whether the state can deliver services to poor people on a large scale. Successful delivery of services provides tangible incentives for people to prefer stability to conflict. However, poor quality or corrupt service delivery can just as easily add to instability rather than rebuilding the social contract" (Institute for State Effectiveness, 2019).
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