Ian McDonald // May 23, 2014
As the class that started this project winds down, we can look back and reflect upon the progress we’ve made in our goals as the project moves to the next phase.
We started with the idea of examining the mechanisms of government transparency in the extractive industries and how it relates to human development in Mongolia. We began with a thorough examination of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) as each member of the class performed a case study on the EITI an its operations in various countries. As the goal of the project is to provide policy recommendations to groups working in Mongolia to address the issues of corruption and improving human development, we had these parameters in mind as we performed our case studies.
As work went on with the case studies, we thought about how to address these needs specifically as they relate to Mongolia. Who better to ask than the people this work would directly influence? The class developed a survey for NGOs working in Mongolia to provide feedback, and the results were very helpful in determining the types of information we needed to extract from the case studies.
Comparing the individual studies to the EITI in Mongolia, we put the results of the survey to work and began the process of producing meaningful, actionable policy recommendations. The work is best summarized through the brochure the research team put together and of course through the information available in other posts on this blog.
Overall the first phase of the project was an instructive time during which the team progressed well toward the completion of its goals. The next phase begins later this month, with students from the program in Mongolia to give presentations as well as the creation of a documentary film. We all look forward to seeing the results of our work and have confidence that we’re helping Mongolians in their efforts to thwart corruption in government and improve human development.