Actions Today for Less Corruption Tomorrow: Quarterly Progress Report

The activity is being implemented primarily in Mexico City, with some research and journalistic investigations involving specific states, cities, or municipalities around Mexico. Corruption and impunity in Mexico are recognized as significant problems that undermine the country's development, institutions, values, and democracy. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranking of Transparency International shows that Mexico fell 71 places in the last 13 years, plummeting from 64th in 2004 to 135th in 2017. The Global Corruption Barometer Report measures direct personal experience of corruption in citizens' everyday lives, showing that corruption has significantly increased in Mexico over the last half decade. The activity's holistic approach to tackling corruption involves four complementary components: Investigative Journalism, Applied Research, Strategic Litigation/Legal initiatives, and Communication/Mobilization. The investigative journalism component focuses on specific national and/or regional issues that cover corruption in both the public and private sectors. During the first trimester, the team of journalists held diverse meetings to discuss and define the strategic areas and themes in which they will focus their investigations. The activity's overall status is that it is ongoing, with the first trimester's accomplishments including the definition of strategic areas and themes for investigative journalism. The team of journalists has decided to focus on specific national and/or regional issues that cover corruption in both the public and private sectors. The activity's progress is being monitored and evaluated through the use of indicators, which are summarized in an attached table (Annex Tab 1). The activity's geographic focus is primarily in Mexico City, with some research and journalistic investigations involving specific states, cities, or municipalities around Mexico. The activity's timeframes are from June 29, 2018, to June 28, 2021, with the first reporting period being from July 1 to September 30, 2018. The activity's recommendations and conclusions will be based on the findings of the investigative journalism component, applied research, strategic litigation/legal initiatives, and communication/mobilization. The activity's implementation details include the involvement of a team of journalists, researchers, and legal experts who will work together to investigate and analyze corruption in Mexico. The activity will also involve the use of social media and other communication channels to raise awareness about corruption and impunity in Mexico and to mobilize public support for anti-corruption efforts. The activity's evaluation and learning plans include the use of indicators to monitor progress and the development of evidence-based public policy recommendations that are backed by a broad base of Mexican citizens.