GIACC Services
Design and Implementation
of Anti-Corruption Measures
GIACC advises stakeholders in the infrastructure, construction and engineering sectors in relation to the design and implementation of:
- Anti-corruption programmes: In order to limit their involvement in corruption, government departments, project owners, project funders, contractors, consulting engineering firms and other stakeholders, should adopt and implement a systematic programme in their respective organisations to prevent and detect corruption both internally and in dealings with third parties. The programme should be developed according to the size of the organisation, the nature of its operations, and the perception of risk. Small or low risk organisations would require a lower level of preventive action than large organisations involved in high risk projects.
- Project anti-corruption systems: It is now widely accepted that proper safety systems should be implemented on projects to reduce the risk of injury. A similar systematic approach should be adopted in relation to corruption. To minimise the risk of corruption on projects, public and private sector project owners should ensure that project anti-corruption systems are implemented on their projects which impact on all project phases and on all major project participants. Project funders should require the implementation of such systems as a condition of funding. The system should be developed according to the size of the project and the perception of risk.
- Anti-corruption procedures for government regulatory authorities: Public sector authorities responsible for regulating infrastructure procurement should ensure that regulations and procedures include anti-corruption measures. This may require the introduction of anti-corruption measures, or the enhancement of existing anti-corruption measures.
- Specific anti-corruption measures: Organisations may wish to enhance their existing anti-corruption measures, or to adopt specific measures for particular circumstances. These measures may include, for example, anti-corruption agreements, contract terms, employment terms, due diligence, transparency, anti-corruption rules, corporate codes, claims codes, reporting procedures, and dealing with corruption.
Anti-corruption measures will not guarantee that there will be no corruption. However, they may materially assist in the prevention and detection of corruption. In doing so, they may reduce financial loss for an organisation, assist in preserving its reputation, and limit the risk of civil and criminal liability for the organisation and its officers and employees. In addition, in the event of prosecution of an organisation and/or its employees for corruption, the adoption and implementation of such measures could provide important evidence that an organisation or individual had taken reasonable steps to prevent corruption. This may prevent conviction or mitigate any penalty that may be imposed. In relation to projects, anti-corruption measures may significantly reduce the risk of inflated cost and defective works, materials and services.
In order to be effective, anti-corruption measures should be designed, implemented and monitored systematically and with care and attention equal to that given to any other management or audit process.
For information on how GIACC can assist, contact GIACC.
For further information on corruption and advice on corruption prevention, see the GIACC Resource Centre (index on left of page).
Page updated on 1st May 2008
© 2008 GIACC