Communication for Governance and Accountability Program (CommGAP)

CommGAP draws on a range of techniques and tools - including in-person events and information and communication technologies (ICTs) - in order to advocate for the value of communication in facilitating good and accountable governance. The programme's research and advocacy agenda involves collaboration as a key strategy. The World Bank does so by bringing together the knowledge, research, and experience of disparate actors - including technical experts, researchers, academics, journalists and reporters, policymakers, government officials, and practitioners from different disciplines. One way of facilitating these interconnections is by fostering dialogues to advance the policy debate through knowledge-sharing events. For example, a May 2008 learning event is planned titled "The Role of the News Media in the Governance Agenda: Watchdog, Agenda-Setter and Public Forum". A written report will be published based on the dialogue at this workshop (For more information on CommGAP events, research reports, and publications, click here). In addition, discussions are held on the programme's blog, "People, Spaces, Deliberation", around these events; here, also, various materials are available to download, including free e-books. Topics of discussion include accountability, anti-corruption, governance, media development, poverty reduction, and public opinion.

CommGAP also proves training on how to approach and overcome difficult challenges in governance reform for staff at the World Bank, other bilateral and multilateral development agencies, and reform managers in developing countries. This in-person capacity building is focused around introducing a set of core communication training modules focusing on governance and accountability issues.

Finally, CommGAP, in partnership with other donors, provides communication support to select governance-related projects and programmes. Examples of this support include: providing technical assistance to the World Bank's "Cambodia's Demand for Good Governance Project"; offering communication support to post-conflict states such as Sierra Leone and Liberia; and helping to strengthen Bangladesh's institutions of accountability and demand-side governance. The goal is to distill the results and lessons learned from these communication interventions and to disseminate the best practices through case studies.

Democracy and Governance.