• Delivering an experienced insider's view on how development (in the sector and overall economy) actually happens -- or doesn't happen.
• Covering the whole range of issues normally associated in the practice of development -- from government, private sector, civil society, or social assistance whether local or from abroad and foreign assistance.
• Focusing on current and forthcoming issues actually faced by emerging economies -- not on theories and second hand academic information.
• Highlighting the frontier of practice -- the point where knowledge stops and ignorance start, and where practitioners have the last word to shape the course of events.
• Informing and empowering those who run the programs and do not have PhDs --that is, most people normally associated with management and execution of programs.
• Using basic, simple, straightforward language -- no fancy consulting power points, models, math or graphs (which tend to be gross simplifications of reality).

Please select a region on the map to learn more about our advisory services for private, public, and non-profit sectors

REN 21 & United Nations Environment Program (UNEP, Paris, France): Guidance and peer review of analysis of Global Renewable Status reports of 2015 to 2018 on costs, impact and policy implications of environmental programs at global, regional and country levels.

World Bank& AusAID (Washington, DC and Canberra, Australia): Design of policy framework and analytical tools to enhance impact of World Bank intervention in extractive industries by helping countries overcome institutional and governance dysfunctions through addressing key legal and fiscal, management, organizational and transparency issues through development of:

1. Diagnostic tools to identify vulnerable areas requiring governance improvements;
2. Analytical approach and guidelines to develop implementation strategies, including linkages to broader set of institutions to enable the delivery of customized governance improvement reforms at the project, sector, or where appropriate macro level;
3. Detailed project plans for the implementation of work in extractive industries, based on the diagnostic tools and defined above, to achieve the stated objectives.

World Bank Quality Assurance Methodologies (Washington, D.C.): Review of Quality Assessment practices, and recommendations, pilot testing and mainstreaming of new methods to monitor quality at entry, during execution and exit of Bank Group activities with appropriate attention to external validation, for improved accountably and enhanced learning.

Inter-American Development Bank (Washington, DC): Member of External Panel to advice the President and Senior Management on investigation and inspection vehicles, codes of conduct and other instruments to establish controls and policies for anti-corruption activities.

UPM-Kymmene Corp (U.S-Finland): Development of instruments to help associated corporations manage and track in an integrated way, their Social Responsibilities Principles throughout their value added chain (from mining of raw materials and suppliers worldwide to sale of finished products to clients). This work includes support aimed at enhancing the ability to monitor, manage and communicate sustainability performance, development of indicators, and integrate sustainability performance into corporate decision making processes and policies, particularly regarding:

1. social responsiveness, covering human resources management, business ethics including corruption control, human rights, external stakeholders including community relations
2. environmental management, covering sustainability programs, developmental, load/impact practices, dialogue and management systems, and associated certification and control arrangements;
3. quality and service effectiveness, covering customer satisfaction processes and results, product development, quality improvement in operations/processes, supplier management including logistics, management systems and certification arrangements, and safety systems.

Transparency International (TI, Berlin, Germany): Introduction and oversight of new effort leading to issuance of The Corruption Fighters' Tool Kit, a compendium of practical civil society anti-corruption experiences described in concrete and accessible language, containing anti-corruption tools developed and implemented by TI National Chapters and other civil society organizations from around the world. The publication was followed by an independent evaluation of impact and recommendations for future improvements.

Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East and South Asia (Manila. Philippines, Dacca, Bangladesh): Development and prototyping of multi-country assessments of governance and anti-corruption programs in terms of their effectiveness, efficiency, quality of design and associated key factors for improved performance and enhanced support for design and implementation.

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat (Tokyo, Japan): Development of framework for diagnosing and identifying energy/environmental issues standing in the way for effective impact in the countries concerned, and potential vehicles for peer reviews to enable development of action programs and their associated monitoring, outlining criteria and processes for identifying, managing and evaluating international initiatives.

Comisión Nacional de Energía – CNE (Santiago, Chile); Ministry of Planning & Investment – MPI (Hanoi, Viet Nam): Benchmarking energy policies and practices pursued internationally regarding their effectiveness, costs and impact on energy security, efficiency and environmental implications, and issues and implications for the two countries concerned.

African Development Bank (Tunis, Tunisia): Development of framework and operational guidelines to address sector governance and corruption risk assessments in infrastructure projects and programs.

United Arab Emirates Ministry of International Cooperation and Development — MICAD (Abu Dhabi, UAE): Development of UAE's Foreign Aid Policy and Strategy, including: (i) identification of priorities; (ii) modalities and vehicles for aid delivery based on international experiences; (iii) identification of partnerships, agendas and norms; (iv) human, financial and organizational implications; and (v) metrics to track and evaluate performance of both strategy as well as programs and projects, to enhance cooperation and operations for improved economic development, and profile of UAE international assistance.

World Bank & Global Partnerships (Washington, D.C.): External Member in Quality Assurance Panels that reviewed strategic relevance, internal quality, dissemination and associated aspects of over 30 projects, technical assistance, and country assistance economic and sector work of World Bank, following framework developed in global design work mentioned above. Reviews included various institutional and public sector reform programs, governance and associated capacity building projects in China, Russia, Moldova, Kyrgyz Republic, Jordan, Kuwait, Malawi, Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Kosovo, Algeria, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Thailand, Timor Leste, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan.

Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF): Prototyping and establishment of Quality Assurance function to enable assessment and appraisal of projects and lessons learned for future initiatives through impact analysis, starting with a project in Argentina to establish a public policy for assets recovery from corruption, and followed up with a review of PTF’s program of 22 projects in the country.

Colombia: Support of establishment, prototyping and implementation of new mining royalty regime, including buildup of mechanisms for coordination of regional/local execution for project identification, design, monitoring and evaluation through:

1. Stocktaking and reviewing the progress of implementation of the Royalties regime since inception;
2. Developing mechanisms for strengthening regional/local capabilities and coordination among different Regional Coordinating Organizations;
3. Designing systems and processes for program and project cycles, from project planning and design, through appraisal, monitoring, control and evaluation of the entire delivery chain within in Government Planning Office;
4. Providing advice on regulatory, financial arrangements, governance (including on civil society engagement), institutional and policy implications stemming from above assessments

Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa): Support to Government, private sector, civil society working groups develop anti-corruption dimensions and governance build-up program aimed at rebuilding the country institutions following agreements to end civil war. The work focused on:

1. the build-up of independent judiciary;
2. the setting up of oversight bodies, including an independent press;
3. actions to be taken by the Executive, including reduction of its discretionary powers.

Republic of Congo (Brazzaville): Special mission to lead and give guidance to Ministry of State Control and private sector survey team to:

1. design questionnaire and methods of diagnostic survey; and “first cut” analysis of data, identifying areas vulnerable to corruption;
2. sketch out of possible areas for corrective action and in-depth analysis;
3. preparation of terms of reference for working groups on areas of vulnerability; and international auditing and consulting firms on petroleum sector;
4. outline audit and corroboration work needed to get basic information on petroleum production, exports, taxation and associated payments to help develop extractive industries monitoring arrangement and management of surpluses.

Caspian Sea Revenue Watch Advisory Board (supported by Open Society Institute): As member of this Board, provided advice and guidance to technical team in to develop and seek experiences worldwide regarding the institutional, policy and constituency support vehicles for tracking petroleum related revenues and their disposition in countries surrounding the Caspian Sea.

Chile: Assessment of critical areas for mining cluster development and governance arrangements to:

1. strengthen supply and service industries; 
2. develop small and medium mining sector ventures to generate dynamic “juniors” and new entrants to the sector;  
3. generate processes and organizations to enhance technological development and greater value added under changing conditions;  
4. identify initiatives, plans of action and working groups to follow up human capital, innovation, supply industry development, investment climate and joint venturing implications of identified programs.

Kazakhstan: Member of Panel set-up to review the World Bank's performance in a public sector reform project. The review focused on areas associated with corruption, including:

1. strategic relevance and focus of the overall project;
2. technical, financial, economic, fiduciary, policy and institutional aspects of programs;
3. degree of attainment of the objectives, sustainability, and implementation arrangements.
4. risk assessment, and safeguard and mitigation policies; and
5. process arrangements, including the managers' oversight performance, judgments concerning conditions of Board presentation, effectiveness and financing.

Honduras: Review of performance of Anti-Corruption Commission, identifying:

1. the nature of corruption issues in the country;
2. the Government’s response to date;
3. impending issues;
4. international experience in countries facing similar issues;
5. lessons drawn from both, the current situation in the country and lessons drawn internationally; and
6. conclusions and implications for actions to be taken to strengthen the Anti-Corruption Commission, its organization, work plans and financing.

Sao Tome e Principe: Advice to the Government and main donors (World Bank, IMF, UNDP and USAID) on the Governance and Resource management Capacity Building to administer the increased revenues accruing from new oil production, including the assistance needed to establish:

1. Development of a regulatory agency, and associated technical assistance, to enable the Government to oversee activities of main parties involved (oil producers, traders, partner countries, etc.) and safeguard the country’s share of the proceeds of oil sales, investment of surpluses, bidding and negotiations of new contracts with oil companies.
2. Establishment of tracking resource use arrangements for accountability and responsiveness of public sector and service providers, including reforms for public sector budgeting and performance-based arrangements for transparent tracking and generate informed debate grounded on data that capture more direct information of results on the ground, and ultimately enhanced public sector performance and impact
3. Provision of concurrent human and financial resource mobilization to support local communities to respond to their identified needs with small investments.

Mozambique & Niger: Advisory work to Government of Mozambique, USAID and Management Systems International to: (i) pilot test corruption assessment methodology; (ii) conduct assessment of corruption in selected public administration areas (customs, public sector finance and budget, and government procurement); (iii) recommend corrective actions. This work provided the underpinnings for a Threshold Millennium Corporation Account to support an adjustment and reform program in the country.