Village democracy in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

The project aims to identify variations in village-level government and how they affect development outcomes, democratic participation and gender equity at the grassroots in three countries in Australias region: Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. It will develop a new analytical framework for understanding the interaction of community-level power structures with policy interventions, and a series of lessons and guidelines for policy makers seeking to enhance community participation and gender equity in development. It will benefit Australia by generating new knowledge about politics and development in our region, and by enhancing Australia-based Asia-Pacific expertise. Specifically, it will provide guidance to Australian policy-makers involved in planning and running governance programs among recipients of Australian development assistance. To make the lessons relevant and actionable for Australian policy-makers, the researchers will consult with k