New horizons of cooperation

Development Policy Institute (DPI), within the framework of the "Effective Governance for Economic Development" (EGED) programme funded by the UK Government (FCDO), has launched a project in collaboration with the Modern Journalism Development Centre[1] of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

As part of this collaboration, the two organizations will work on implementing the project "Public Oversight Through Digital Tools." The primary goal of the project is to enhance transparency and efficiency in public sector policy implementation. This will be achieved by improving the use of open information (open data), increasing public engagement, and promoting public oversight.

“Public Oversight Through Digital Tools” is an initiative aimed at strengthening public oversight and enhancing the transparency and accountability of economic reforms carried out in the country. We count on the support and active participation of our potential national partners, including the National Agency for Social Protection, the Anti-Corruption Agency, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance”, – said Saida Suleymanova, Director of the Modern Journalism Development Centre.

The project will be implemented in three main areas:

• Raising public awareness and initiating discussions on the employment of persons with disabilities: 
  The integration of persons with disabilities into the labor market, factors hindering their employment and measures taken by the Government in this area will be analyzed.
• Public financial management reforms: 
  The issues of budget formation and execution, the effectiveness of public spending, and the targeted use of budget funds will be studied.
• Transparency in public procurement: 
  Monitoring the openness and competitiveness of the public procurement process, mechanisms for mitigating corruption risks and providing information on public procurement to the public.

“The project will involve journalists, representatives of government agencies and civil society organizations (in Uzbekistan – NNO – non-governmental non-profit organizations), media experts, and local communities to participate in the process of strengthening public oversight, enhancing transparency and accountability of economic reforms, ensuring the right to access information, and improving personal professional skills”, – added Nadezhda Dobretsova, Chairperson of the DPI Board. 

As part of the project implementation, the following activities are planned:

• “Data and Economic Journalism” Accelerator (conducting intensive training for journalists on working with data, analyzing and visualizing data, and covering economic topics);
• Mentorship support for content creation (mentorship from experienced journalists to young specialists in preparing articles and reports, analyzing and presenting data);
• Information campaign (developing and disseminating relevant and useful materials to inform the public about the employment of persons with disabilities, public finances, and reforms in public procurement);
• Joint activities with government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector (Q&A sessions with the public, disclosure of information, and studying public opinion).

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[1] https://mjdc.uz