Impact Area
Advance Responsive and Effective Public Policies and Institutions
Effective public policies and institutions are essential for creating public goods, fostering social trust, mitigating drivers of conflict from interpersonal to international levels, and ultimately meeting people’s needs, thereby enabling societies to flourish.
We partner with civil society, the private sector, and government institutions to build systems for evidence-based policymaking, improve public service delivery, strengthen governance systems, increase accountability, and expand space for civil society and public voice. Strengthening these institutions will also increase security, agency, and economic opportunity for women and vulnerable groups.
We use analysis, dialogue, and coalition-building informed by deep local insight to help shape timely policies that are both technically sound and politically feasible. Our support spans regional, national, and subnational institutions, strengthening the implementation of policies that address people’s needs and spur positive change.
Featured Program
Improving Public Services Through Better Governance
To ensure Nepal’s federal system delivers for all citizens, we help public institutions clarify roles, improve coordination, increase public participation, and strengthen local dispute resolution.
Featured Programs
Strengthening Justice Systems to Expand Legal Access
Many rural and vulnerable communities in Lao PDR lack reliable legal support. We help strengthen legal aid and local dispute resolution services in underserved areas.
Strengthening Policymaking with Data and Dialogue
We help government, civil society, universities, and communities use research and public input to develop policies that benefit all Cambodian people.
Transforming Policy Through Locally Led Reform
To help reforms take hold in the Philippines, we work with local leaders to build coalitions that advance practical solutions to key public policy challenges.
Helping Governance Systems Better Serve Citizens
In Bangladesh, we help public systems better protect migrant workers, support journalists, and make governance reforms work for citizens.
Making Local Government Work Better
Local governments need the right tools to better serve communities. We help Sri Lankan authorities use data, technology, and budgeting best practices to improve public services.
Strengthening Pakistan’s Judicial System
To increase performance and public trust in Pakistan’s justice system, we help judicial institutions, universities, and legal professionals improve standards and eliminate barriers to access.
Building a Better Public Sector in Bangladesh
As Bangladesh’s governance demands grow, we help public institutions improve coordination, accountability, and service delivery for all citizens.
Making Urban Governance More Responsive
As Ulaanbaatar has grown rapidly, citizens have increasingly pushed for institutions to improve public services, strengthen accountability, and better engage with people. Over the past 15 years, The Asia Foundation has partnered with municipal offices to modernize urban governance through public service innovation, digital transformation, and evidence-based planning. The program trained more than 4,000 municipal officials, supported decentralization reforms, introduced digital platforms for citizen participation, and improved service delivery across areas including waste management, water utilities, and local government planning.
Building Trust to Prevent Violence
For more than a decade, the New Zealand-funded Community Security and Justice program has supported more responsive public service delivery and strengthened trust between communities and police to prevent violence and build resilience. It has transformed policing in Timor-Leste from a reactive, security-driven force to one that works with communities to prevent conflict and resolve disputes. Partnering with police, community leaders, and civil society, the program has expanded community police councils across more than 75 percent of the country, improved local coordination, and contributed to national reform. Backed by strong survey evidence, these efforts have strengthened trust in police, expanded access to justice, and enabled Timorese institutions and communities to lead in building safer, more resilient societies.
Strengthening Data to Improve Decisions
Nepal’s public institutions have experienced fragmented data systems, limited data skills, and gaps in digital services that make it harder to use evidence in decisions. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Data for Development program helped government and nongovernment partners produce, share, and use data for better policies and services. The program connected national policy reform with practical tools at provincial and local levels, while bringing together government, civil society, media, technology groups, and the private sector. It strengthened data use, supported digital systems and public-service improvements, and showed that better information can help institutions make more responsive decisions.