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December, 2022
Thematic Area: 

The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is the world’s only independent, comparative, and objective research instrument for this purpose; this instrument was used for this assessment. Of the 120 countries assessed by the OBS in 2021, the vast majority (94), Jamaica included, failed to reach the minimum threshold for adequate budget transparency, public participation, and oversight. This report assesses how well the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) facilitates public access to budget information, and how many formal opportunities are provided for the public to participate in the national budget process

February, 2022
Thematic Area: 

Across the world, as in Jamaica, the pandemic challenged governments’ capacity to manage resources effectively and equitably. With fiscal resources moving around on such a massive scale, civil society partners across 120 countries, including the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) in Jamaica, worked with the International Budget Partnership (IBP) to take a closer look at how governments managed their initial COVID-19 fiscal policy responses. Our goal was not just to assess how governments fared, but to generate lessons on how they can respond better, both to the ongoing COVID-19 situation as it continues to unfold, and to future such crises. 

November, 2020
Thematic Area: 

In 2019, for the first time the Government of Jamaica was (GOJ) assessed for how much it facilitates public access to budget information, and how many formal opportunities it provides for the public to participate in the national budget process. The Open Budget Survey (OBS,) the world’s only independent, comparative, and objective research instrument for this purpose, was used to do the assessment. The OBS also examined the role of Jamaica’s budget oversight institutions, such as the Parliament and Auditor General’s Department (AGD), in the budget process. Based on these indicators, the OBS provided an assessment of Jamaican citizens’ ability to engage the budget process and provide relevant feedback to the GOJ about budget decisions.

March, 2020
Thematic Area: 

It is widely accepted that citizen security and public safety are the main challenges threatening Jamaica’s growth and
development. With support from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) CAPRI thus undertook the
Transforming Citizen Security a Yaad project (CSAY). Through this project, which ran from May 2017 to March 2020,
CAPRI produced four reports, on pertinent issues related to citizen security, and a draft crime scorecard. Each report
was launched with a live-streamed public forum that brought together relevant key stakeholders, and where the public was
directly engaged. A number of highlevel key stakeholders participated in the creation of the crime scorecard, with the next
expected step to collaborate with a relevant government agency, and perhaps another civil society organization,
to operationalize it, so it can fulfill its tremendous potential as a tool of improving the state’s accountability to
its citizens.

The reports covered police reform, the efficacy of anti-violence interventions, the relationship between scamming, gangs, and
violence, and an in-depth analysis of Jamaica’s contemporary gang dynamics. These were four critical issues that, expert
stakeholders agreed, would benefit from up-to-date, evidence based research and analysis, to move the debate, thinking, and
policy forward.

March, 2020
Thematic Area: 

It is widely accepted that citizen security and public safety are the principal challenges threatening Jamaica’s growth and development. With support from the UK’s Department for International Development(DFID) CAPRI undertook the Transforming Citizen Security a Yaad project, and produced four reports on pertinent issues related to citizen security. The reports covered police reform, the efficacy of anti-violence interventions, the relationship between scamming, gangs, and violence, and an in-depth analysis of Jamaica’s contemporary gang dynamics. These were four critical issues that, expert stakeholders agreed, would benefit from up-to-date, evidence based research and analysis, to move the debate, thinking, and policy forward.

October, 2018
Thematic Area: 

Jamaica’s open data programme has advanced further than most of its counterparts in the Caribbean, placing it at the top of most regional rankings. In recent years there have been legislative developments (data protection legislation tabled; open data policy in development), infrastructural developments (portal), as well as capacity building through data training programmes. Despite recent developments, the country has experienced very limited impact from its open data programme thus far. Several issues relating to data quality, the reactive nature of data release within government, issues with the access to information request process, and a lack of focus on answering specific questions with open data, are significant barriers to its re-use and impact in Jamaica. Many of the current challenges stem from the absence of an open data policy which provides guidance, and standardizes data collection, distribution, and quality, across government agencies.

 

This report assesses Jamaica’s current open data programme, and identifies those shortcomings to be remedied, as well as opportunities where value could be added. The following recommendations are made to improve the effectiveness of the current programme, and to extract significant and measurable value from open data.

September, 2017
Thematic Area: 

A high percep on of corrup on in Jamaica exists, both locally and interna onally. The country consistently performs poorly on global corrup on indices, with other governance indicators ci ng corrup on as a major problem for the country. Polls done domes cally reveal similar views on corrup on in the country with many locals regarding key ins tu ons in the country as being highly corrupt. This report reviewed innova ons used to strengthen integrity in countries around the world, with a view to recommending one such innova on to strengthen Jamaica’s own integrity. Having assessed the corrup on situa on in Jamaica and examined what the exis ng an -corrup on framework allows, it was found that any innova on implemented in the country must address certain contextual criteria. As corrup on was seen to be pervasive across all levels of society, any innova on would have to engage all members of society to e ect real change. Addi onally, during consulta on with several an -corrup on ins tu ons on the island, it was found that a major downfall of the innova ons they currently use is a lack of data collec on which is necessary to assess their e ec veness. Consequently, ini a ves used in Jamaica should allow for clear target-se ng and quan ca on of results. Furthermore, given the resource constraints, and in general, the economic challenges facing the country, innova ons should be cost-e ec ve and sustainable. Notably, Jamaicans have a strong inclina on to technology and innova on and thus, the ini a ve should also be technologically inspired as this may spur on the uptake by the public. 

 

September, 2016
Thematic Area: 

Can the Tivoli Commission of Enquiry deliver policy recommenda ons which are bene cial to Jamaican democracy? Will the government implement these recommenda ons? What kind of policy outcomes should result from the establishment of the Commission? Will the Commission u lize a problem-solving approach by making recommenda ons which respond to both the immediate problem as well as the problema cs of the garrison phenomenon, a major root cause of the May 2010 events? These are important ques ons being asked by various commentators, who have engaged in the public debates about the role of the Tivoli Commission of Enquiry and the current state of Jamaica’s socio-poli cal milieu. The purpose of this brief is to examine some of these salient policy issues. 

 

September, 2016
Thematic Area: 

This report is part of a project undertaken in collaboration with the Embassy of the U.S. in Jamaica, titled "Dialogues Between Democracies". This project, which consisted of a series of events and the present research, examined the benefits and challenges of the bilateral relations between the United States and Jamaica. Focusing on the themes of Security, Health & Prosperity, Democratic Governance and Social Inclusion, "Dialogues Between Democracies" celebrated the achivements of a strong partnership, whilst providing evidence-based recommendations to strengthen this partnership, presented in this report. 

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