IREX considers trust to be a vital component in programming that strengthens the impact of all other work. Our working definition of trust is the belief in the honesty, integrity, and reliability of others. We have just begun to understand how trust operates in our work and what we can do to strengthen trust, and in turn, strengthen the positive impact that trust has on program outcomes and on communities. To learn more about it, IREX’s Center for Applied Learning and Impact (CALI) partnered with IREX program Comunitatea Mea (CM), an eight-year, USAID funded program to strengthen local government in Moldova to become more effective, transparent, and accountable to citizens. Together, CALI and CM launched an exploratory qualitative study to understand how trust has been built between government and citizens in CM partner communities.

We learned that trust is built in a virtuous cycle in which the local government and the community are continually engaged. This virtuous cycle is supported and driven by three interlocking strategies: developing servant leadership, employing generous communication, and emphasizing relationship building.

The next phase of this research, a quantitative survey, will measure:

1. To what extent are the three trust-building strategies perceived to be present and actively employed by local governments in communities where CM has worked? 
2. How do community members and local government officials perceive the effectiveness of these strategies in building trust between residents and local authorities? 
3. What factors are associated with higher levels of perceived trust-building effectiveness of these strategies in CM communities? 
4. What are the current levels of trust in local government among community members in CM communities, and how do these levels relate to perceptions of trust-building strategies?