Partnership for Transparency - PTF

06/19/2026

Women in India are ready to lead in government and development, but pervasive gender-based violence makes that difficult if not impossible. With funding from PTF and India Development and Relief Fund, the Centre for Advocacy & Research - CFAR worked with women to make their communities safer. PTF Senior Advisor Indira Sandilya reflects on the project and its future potential.

Women in India are ready to lead in government and development, but...

06/11/2026

Infrastructure projects are supposed to improve lives, not leave people worse off. That’s why rules and regulations governing the projects exist– to protect the environment and adhere to social standards.

To build awareness around these rules, PTF Europe and Transparency International Rwanda conducted a Training-of-Trainers course in Muhanga that focused on the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards (ESS).

Read more about the sessions and how the trainers plan to pass on their knowledge here:

June 10, 2026: If you want sustainable change, everyone involved - from government to citizens - needs to have a say in the process. That principle is core to the approach used by PTF in dozens of countries since its inception...

06/04/2026

Want better development outcomes? Involve citizens in monitoring projects.

From 2011-2016, PTF managed the Citizen Action for Results, Transparency, and Accountability (CARTA) program with the Manusher Jonno Foundation in Bangladesh and Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation in Nepal. The program worked with communities to engage directly with government officials to improve transparency, accountability, and service delivery in World Bank-financed projects.

Using PTF's constructive engagement approach, which focuses on dialogue and collaboration rather than "naming and shaming," the program helped communities better understand projects, voice their concerns, and work with service providers to resolve issues and improve results.

You can read more here: https://ptfund.org/carta/

05/27/2026

We worked with some amazing women in this project and are so proud to be a part of it! Thank you, India Development and Relief Fund for your partnership.

05/20/2026

Teachers not showing up for class. Not enough textbooks for students. A high teen pregnancy rate. Rural communities in Zambia struggled with these issues, resulting in children not getting the quality education they deserved.

The Voice and Accountability Community Empowerment for Improved Local Service Delivery Project, supported by the Government of Japan and implemented by the World Bank, worked to change that. PTF partner Civil Society for Poverty Reduction trained communities about their rights so they could hold the government accountable. Learn more about how they did it and what they achieved.

In Zambia’s rural communities, accessing quality education can be a struggle. Poor infrastructure, inconsistent teacher attendance, and a lack of dialogue be...

05/13/2026

If your local government was planning a big infrastructure project in your backyard, you’d probably want a say in how it was done.

In Rwanda, PTF and International Rwanda are working with citizens to make sure their voices are heard when it comes to the planning and implementation of infrastructure projects. Funded by the European Union in Rwanda, the APESA project promotes transparency in government through trainings for government officials and civil society organizations.

You can learn more about the project here.

May 8, 2026: This is the aim of Transparency International Rwanda (TI-RW) and PTF Europe as they implement the EU-funded APESA project in Rwanda. But what does it mean for citizens’ rights to be respected when infrastructure projects are designed and implemented? In some cases, it can mean that la...

05/11/2026

In a small rural village in India, Saraswati Morya is changing lives. For the past five years, she has been going door-to-door, ensuring women and girls know their rights when it comes to protecting themselves against violence. As a Gram Sakhi, a Hindi term for “rural female friend,” Saraswati built a strong safety network by forging partnerships with the local police, women’s safety and counseling centres, and other organizations. Her relentless advocacy ensured that the voices of women and girls were no longer ignored.

Saraswati’s work is part of the project “Preventing and Reducing Gender Based Violence in Kishangarh Block Ajmer District, Rajasthan, India.” It was co-funded by PTF and India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF) and implemented by Centre for Advocacy & Research - CFAR. The project worked to improve the effectiveness of the government’s GBV initiatives.

“I want women and girls to live freely in an open society, not like bonded laborers,” Saraswati said. “They may be poor, but they have every right to a safe and dignified life. My mission is to empower them with legal knowledge for a free and fearless future — not to confine them.”

Read more about Saraswat’s work here: https://bit.ly/4ffKywR

04/27/2026

Preliminary project results highlight the key role of citizen monitoring

Citizen monitoring of flood control projects is proving to be successful in the Philippines. Just a few months into the Strengthening Citizen Monitoring of Flood-Control Projects, results highlight the ability of citizens to observe projects and determine whether things are going well or need improvement.

Soon after the project began, a radio broadcast featured eight inspected projects, and the Department of Public Works and Highways provided resolutions for reported issues. And in Bataan, Davao del Sur and Cebu city projects were repaired following inspection reports, showing how citizen monitoring can have a direct impact supporting improved project outcomes.

Looking ahead, the project will focus on expanding inspections with local events and continued partner mobilization, strengthening mechanisms for resolving reported issues.

04/22/2026

Local citizens play an essential role when it comes to ensuring good stewardship of the environment. PTF works with civil society organizations and local communities to make sure their input is included in creating projects that impact the environment, that they know their rights, and that they hold governments accountable.

On this Earth Day, PTF celebrates those doing this work so that people and the planet can thrive for generations to come.