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Economic analysis a necessary tool in enriching and broadening our understanding of political dynamics and structures. DevWatch tracks and analyzes changes in the national and regional economy, which have become more rapid and pronounced in the context of globalization.
DevWatch engages in the following projects:
1. Quarterly analyses of the national economic situation,
2. Research on fiscal and monetary policy, including taxation and interest and exchange rate regimes,
3. Studies on indicators of local good governance and evaluation of institutions of citizen participation at the LGU level,
4. Studies in local budgeting, taxation, credit access and privatization issues; and in inter-governmental finance and accountability framework, and
5. Studies of NGO and other local development ‘best practices’.
Democracy Watch
Democracy Watch does theoretical, theme- and issue-based research on national, local and regional politics. Its current research agenda covers a broad range of topics, like national and local dynamics of elite politics and governance, the structures and forms of power in communities, and initiatives towards political and electoral reform.
Among the ongoing projects of DemWatch are:
1. Analyzing the dynamics of the local political elite,
2. Tracking and analyzing the reconfiguration of the Philippine progressive movement, and
3. Monitoring and interpreting key conjunctures in national politics in quarterly national situation reports.
Outreach and Communications
The Outreach and Communications Department (OCD) promotes and popularizes the research and advocacies of IPD through publications, mainstream media, fora, press conferences and similar activities. Direct outreach is performed by the Education and Training Program, which services people’s organizations, specifically on electoral and local government themes.
Regular and Occasional Publications:
- Conjuncture – a bi-monthly broadsheet featuring articles on issues in Philippine politics, commentary and analyses, think pieces on democratic theory and practice, updates on international developments and movements, debates, political humor and culture.
- Political Brief – a quarterly folio featuring analyses of key events, issues and actors in Philippine politics, including a semestral summary of political trends and quarterly analysis of key issues.
- Work in Progress (WIP) – Occasional monograph on political and economic issues.
- IPD Reader – an occasional folio as quick response to hot issues of the day
- Barangay Bayan – an occasional DevWatch publication
IPD Books:
- Handbook on Advocacy Strategy and Techniques Development (2003)
Electoral Campaign Management Training Manual (2002) - Campaigning for Democracy: Grassroots Citizenship Movements, Less-Than-Democratic Elections, and Regime Transition in the Philippines (2000)
- Estratehiyang Bibingka sa Implementasyon ng Reporma sa Lupa: Mga Kilusang Magbubukid na may Otonomiya at mga Repormista sa Estado sa Pilipinas (2000)
- Rebels, Warlords and Ulama: A Reader on Muslim Separatism and the War in Southern Philippines (1999)
- The Bibingka Strategy in Land Reform Implementation: Autonomous Peasant Movements and State Reformists in the Philippines (1999)
- Transitions to Democracy in East and Southeast Asia (1999)
People, Power and Resources in Everyday Life: Critical Essays on the Politics of Environment in the Philippines (1997) - Pork and Other Perks: Corruption and Governance in the Philippines (1997)
(Published in partnership with Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and Evelio B. Javier Foundation) - [De]scribing Elections: A Study of Elections in the Lifeworld of San Isidro (1996)
Boss: Five Case Studies of Local Politics in the Philippines (1995) (Boss won the National Book Award, awarded by the Manila Critics Circle, in 1995.) - The Ties That Bind: A Guide to Family, Business and Other Interests in the Ninth House of Representatives (1994) (Published in partnership with Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism)
- All in the Family: A Study of Elites and Power Relations in the Philippines (1992)
Political Mapping
The Political Mapping Department (PolMap) builds comprehensive profiles of key actors and issues in key areas in the Philippines. PolMap plans to bring together disparate sub-national data on demography, politics and economics into an organized and searchable database for use in several applications ranging from research to policy formulation.
PolMap aspires to:
- Facilitate knowledge creation by providing empirical evidence to support various hypothesis and theories on the Philippine political and economic development.
- Produce innovative methodological tools for data processing and data analysis, which can be used by academe, government, and members of civil society in policy design and basic research.
- Provide tailor-made, information-oriented products and services based on specific end-user requests.
evelopment Watch