Think tank capacity building and policy impact (before and after 2020 election)
IDRC and Global Affairs Canada launched the Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) initiative to nurture meaningful dialogue and engagement during the country’s transition to democratic development. Working with other development partners, the initiative targets diverse and complementary entry points to strengthen analytical thinking and research capacity by developing the capacity of individuals, including researchers, civil society, and policymakers; promoting engagement and collaboration through roundtables, conferences, and workshops; developing institutional capacity by providing support for think tanks and networks; and funding research projects on inclusive democratic governance and economic development.
This project supports capacity development as an extension to K4DM’s on-going training, mentorship, and core funding support to think tanks in Myanmar. Informed by learning from the K4DM mid-term evaluation, the project will increase local presence and policy engagement. It will support continued training and mentorship for an additional year (until mid-2021), with more frequent interactions supported by both greater local presence and remote connectivity. The project also provides training and funding for small-scale ideas to find practical solutions to key policy issues, such as responses to the COVID-19 crisis. Well-established and emerging think tanks will pair up to implement these ideas, reinforce training, and create synergies for peer learning within the expanding community of think tanks during the critical period surrounding the 2020 Myanmar elections.
Project ID
109432
Project Status
Completed
End Date
Duration
15 months
IDRC Officer
Edgard Rodriguez
Total Funding
CA$ 503,700.00
Location
Myanmar
Programs
Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar 2017-2021
Institution Country
United Kingdom
Project Leader
William Paxton
Institution
Kivu International Ltd
Institution Website
Outputs
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Delivering better jobs for Myanmar : identifying key sectors to support a job-rich economy recovery Paper
For too many people in Myanmar, work is casual, part-time and informal. The economic shock from the coronavirus pandemic has created huge challenges, but as the economy enters a recovery phase there are also opportunities in these sectors: Food Processing; Automobile Components; Construction; Wholesale and Retail Trade. The report also highlights risks and barriers that might prevent sectors from realising their potential: poor infrastructure, out-of-date technology and an inadequate regulatory environment. (Note that the paper was published prior to a coup d’état, February 1, 2021, which halted Myanmar’s fragile democratisation). Author(s): MDI Language: English |
Why village institutions matter Paper
International best practices, and case studies in village institutional development or local governance systems are reviewed in this paper. It argues that village development committees (VDC) have the potential to provide stronger community-led governance, empower communities, and support more effective rural development. As well, it proposes some framing questions to help the Myanmar Department of Rural Development (DRD) develop policy options for enacting the 2019 Rural Development Law. It provides guidelines for organizing village development committees, drawing from the manuals currently used by the DRD in village committee formation. Author(s): ALARM Language: English |
Paracetamol, cevit and a boiled egg : daily life in rural Myanmar in the time of the third wave of COVID-19 Paper
The paper details conditions in Myanmar resulting from the combined calamities of COVID-19 and the military coup (Feb. 2021). The loss of social interaction has weakened communications and made people feel more isolated: places of religious worship are closed, wedding ceremonies canceled, traditional funerals disallowed, home visits prohibited, and village development activities interdicted. Social interaction between coup-supporters and coup-opponents has practically ceased. In villages the fear of military informers has suppressed willingness to collaborate, other than on health-related issues (‘cevit’ is ascorbic acid/Vitamin C and is recommended as part of COVID-19 treatment). People’s distrust in government has extended to distrust in the vaccination program. The debt-harvest-repayment cycle is broken in all research villages. Author(s): Kostner, Markus Language: English |
Social media guide for local CSO Training Materials
Author(s): Pandita Language: Burmese |
Delivering better jobs for Myanmar : identifying key sectors for further analysis Paper
The analysis identified two sub-sectors within manufacturing (food processing and automobile components) and two other sectors (construction, and wholesale and retail trade) that have the potential to contribute to the creation of better jobs in coming years (2020). Risks and barriers to this growth are poor infrastructure, out-of-date technology and an inadequate regulatory environment in areas of food processing, skills shortages in construction, and an over-reliance on foreign investment. Prior to 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic, the Myanmar economy grew at an annual rate of 6 to 7 per cent for several years. Author(s): MDI Language: English |
Myanmar’s civic space shrinking or closing? : uncovering coping mechanisms of local civil society in post-coup Myanmar Brief
The coup d’état (1st February, 2021) has severely halted Myanmar’s fragile democratisation. Military rule threatens all democratic institutions in Myanmar. With the active responses from a selection of local civil society organization (CSO) leaders collectively, this study uncovers direct impacts and challenges, trends that have emerged, and the coping mechanisms in civil society in post-coup Myanmar. The rule of law fails to safeguard the existence and operations of CSOs; over 800 people have been killed by the military junta (2021), including children and women. At least 5,173 people were arbitrarily arrested, charged, or sentenced without any legal basis. Author(s): Pandita Development Institute Language: English |
Engaging the public in Tanintharyi region : policy options for better engagement Brief
This paper aims towards strengthened decentralized and inclusive governance in the Tanintharyi region (Myanmar). The paper outlines policy challenges and opportunities for improving public engagement. Despite positive improvements, challenges remain in inclusive engagement with local government. The roles of regional government in different sectors should be clarified and expanded to better engage with the public. Multilevel-coordination (vertical and horizontal coordination, and policy integration) need to be enhanced. The Tanintharyi Region has a favorable geographic location, with key global priority landscapes for conservation and abundant natural resources, both mineral and non-mineral. Author(s): Thin, Nan Khine Cho Cho, Chann, Yay Language: English |
| Why village institutions matter Paper
The paper analyzes the structure of village administration and decision making in Myanmar, as well as mapping power relations and providing a critique of current practices. It highlights cases and issues, in order to advocate for village institutions at the grassroots level. Village headmen/leaders are found to be manipulative and mostly ignorant of the plight of vulnerable groups and the poor. Democratically elected Village Development Committees (VDC) can help develop policy options for enacting the 2019 Rural Development Law and provide guidelines to organize VDCs. The absence of democratically formed local institutions within rural communities hampers the progress of participatory democratic processes. Author(s): ALARM Language: English |