TIGRe
TIGRe scrutinizes how transparency and group identity influence participation in and voicing concerns about the governance of valuable natural resources and their revenues in poor but resource-rich countries. In order to improve natural resource governance and social development, a number of countries have undertaken transparency initiatives (TIs) to publicize information about high-value natural resources and their revenues—and about how both are managed. Although such initiatives have successfully increased the amount of information available to stakeholders, there is little scientific evidence that they have achieved their intended governance or social goals. By seeking to find out why, TIGRe will advance scientific understanding of transparency and natural resource governance
The project will use theoretical-empirical methodology in which theory and empirical research are developed simultaneously and used to inform, verify, and validate each other. The objective is to (1) identify the steps, obstacles and limits in the process that leads from information disclosure to better resource governance and (2) to examine the role of identity in these processes. To scrutinize these issues empirically, the project will use mixed methods approach. It will use rigorous, randomized impact evaluations to examine how information dissemination affects peoples’ attitudes and behavior. It will use systematic surveys and descriptive and multivariate analyses to examine peoples’ perceptions of information disclosure, transparency, transparency’s role in resource governance, and how successful existing national and local transparency initiatives and mechanisms have been. Cross-country panel data will be analyzed to study why countries adopt TIs. In-depth case studies, using individual and focus group interviews, will reveal what the links are between transparency, identities, and participation in decision-making processes. Based on the empirical work and literature review, the project will develop a Theory of change framework for transparency and governance of valuable natural resources.
TIGRe is funded by the Academy of Finland as a Academy Research Fellow project for the years 2017-2022.
The project will use theoretical-empirical methodology in which theory and empirical research are developed simultaneously and used to inform, verify, and validate each other. The objective is to (1) identify the steps, obstacles and limits in the process that leads from information disclosure to better resource governance and (2) to examine the role of identity in these processes. To scrutinize these issues empirically, the project will use mixed methods approach. It will use rigorous, randomized impact evaluations to examine how information dissemination affects peoples’ attitudes and behavior. It will use systematic surveys and descriptive and multivariate analyses to examine peoples’ perceptions of information disclosure, transparency, transparency’s role in resource governance, and how successful existing national and local transparency initiatives and mechanisms have been. Cross-country panel data will be analyzed to study why countries adopt TIs. In-depth case studies, using individual and focus group interviews, will reveal what the links are between transparency, identities, and participation in decision-making processes. Based on the empirical work and literature review, the project will develop a Theory of change framework for transparency and governance of valuable natural resources.
TIGRe is funded by the Academy of Finland as a Academy Research Fellow project for the years 2017-2022.