A Selected Portfolio of Successful CIPE Projects

Unirule Institute of Economics (UNIRULE) | China

Symposia on China's Transition to a Market Economy - In an effort to help develop and strengthen a network of non-government economic think tanks in China, CIPE provides support to the Unirule Institute of Economics. This reform-oriented organization is undertaking research projects on current economic issues, and presenting its independent findings to top policymakers in the form of papers and workshops. Each year, Unirule organizes a special series of 26 biweekly symposia that bring together dozens of private entrepreneurs, academics, government officials and journalists for discussion on issues related to China's transition to a market economy. Issues have included reform of state-owned enterprises, economic and political globalization, and development of a civil society. Speaker/moderators are drawn primarily from independent reform elements and private or quasi-private enterprises in China, but also include reform-oriented academics and government officials performing research independent of their official functions. Unirule has reproduced and distributed symposia papers to participants and a wide audience of entrepreneurs, policymakers and researchers interested in economic reform.

The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) | Bulgaria

Privatization on a Dual Track: Mass & Market Based Privatization - The Center for the Study of Democracy's (CSD) privatization program is designed to develop legislation and other means to accelerate Bulgaria's privatization process. Objectives include making the second wave of the mass privatization program more transparent and competitive. The project consists of a series of policy analyses of the current legal framework for mass privatization as well as information dissemination and public outreach activities. On July 3, 1997 the Bulgarian Council of Ministers, approved a CSD recommendation mandating that enterprises that are predominately state owned would need to institute a Shareholders' Registry. Thus adding to the transparency of state owned enterprises. To reinforce its self-described watchdog function CSD conducted a survey in June 1997 to benchmark public attitudes towards the process of mass privatization after the completion of the first round and just prior to the start of the second round.

Small Business Project (SBP) | South Africa

Legislative Promotion of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise - The Small Business Project seeks to expand and improve the provision of information and advisory services to South Africa's legislature, business community, media, and public by creating and disseminating SMME(Small Medium & Micro Enterprises) Alerts! . These bulletins are distributed to government officials, members of the National assembly, provincial authorities, provincial legislators, SBP members, labor, the media, and other constituency groups. SBP coordinates "focus teams" consisting of SBP staff and experts from other organizations with expertise in a particular small business issue to enhance the analytical capacity of legislators by offering advice on economic issues which is formed by the use of economic and legal analysis and consensus opinions drawn from a broad spectrum of relevant groups. In an effort to improve existing legislation and encourage new legislative initiatives consistent with the interests of the SMME sector and market-oriented economic principles, SBP will also conduct briefing sessions to the members of Parliament in the National Assembly and Senate's Select Portfolio Committees. These sessions will focus attention on key committees and subcommittees within the Parliament: Fiscal Committee, Land & Agriculture Committee, and the Trade & Industry Committee.