Comments on: International Anti-Corruption Day 2009: An Hour of Silence to Reflect and Reboot http://thekaufmannpost.net/international-anti-corruption-day-2009-an-hour-of-silence-to-reflect-and-reboot/ Transparency, corruption and governance matters, evidence-based Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:54:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alan Davis http://thekaufmannpost.net/international-anti-corruption-day-2009-an-hour-of-silence-to-reflect-and-reboot/comment-page-1/#comment-9985 Alan Davis Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:44:28 +0000 http://thekaufmannpost.net/?p=1512#comment-9985 This discussion is very interesting: We are just launching a project in the Philippines (Philippines Public Transparency Reporting Project) which is funded by USAID (through ABA), doing precisely what Michael Brown is suggesting - getting media to partner with civil society, voters and ordinary citizens (through social media, and town hall meetings, advocacy campaigns, to monitor, report, challenge, demand and the like. Much will be built around a website we are now in the process of setting up (for launch in March) subtitled Iyong Pera! (It's Your Money). I am/was very surprised the role of media and public information websites and the like have not been used/supported in the past in some kind of very structured or focused way to promote greater accountability given the potential for reach. I will keep you 'posted' on how it goes. All great credit for USAID (and our colleagues at ABA) for supporting this. A key thing we are trying to do from the very outset is to get everybody (including journalists) to understand everything possible about the public income/expenditure/budgeting/procurement and auditing processes. Right now, nobody knows, so they cannot even begin to duly monitor. I'm on a great big learning curve myself. Cheers. Alan This discussion is very interesting: We are just launching a project in the Philippines (Philippines Public Transparency Reporting Project) which is funded by USAID (through ABA), doing precisely what Michael Brown is suggesting – getting media to partner with civil society, voters and ordinary citizens (through social media, and town hall meetings, advocacy campaigns, to monitor, report, challenge, demand and the like. Much will be built around a website we are now in the process of setting up (for launch in March) subtitled Iyong Pera! (It’s Your Money). I am/was very surprised the role of media and public information websites and the like have not been used/supported in the past in some kind of very structured or focused way to promote greater accountability given the potential for reach. I will keep you ‘posted’ on how it goes. All great credit for USAID (and our colleagues at ABA) for supporting this. A key thing we are trying to do from the very outset is to get everybody (including journalists) to understand everything possible about the public income/expenditure/budgeting/procurement and auditing processes. Right now, nobody knows, so they cannot even begin to duly monitor. I’m on a great big learning curve myself. Cheers. Alan

]]> By: Adrian http://thekaufmannpost.net/international-anti-corruption-day-2009-an-hour-of-silence-to-reflect-and-reboot/comment-page-1/#comment-9942 Adrian Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:37:05 +0000 http://thekaufmannpost.net/?p=1512#comment-9942 Corruption is the worst discovery ever made by mankind Corruption is the worst discovery ever made by mankind

]]> By: Kaufmann http://thekaufmannpost.net/international-anti-corruption-day-2009-an-hour-of-silence-to-reflect-and-reboot/comment-page-1/#comment-9728 Kaufmann Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:27:47 +0000 http://thekaufmannpost.net/?p=1512#comment-9728 Michael, this feedback is thoughtful and concrete. Definitively a Yes to participatory multi-stakeholder approaches, with serious diagnostics of course. Wonder whether there is an evaluation of the DRC project you were involved, and if so what worked and what didn't. As to donor focus on 'low hanging fruits', I am afraid that too often that has been an excuse not to even bring up higher level corruption, given the incentive not to rock any boat and to continue pushing money to governments out of the door irrespective of the extent of corruption at the higher levels. Michael, this feedback is thoughtful and concrete. Definitively a Yes to participatory multi-stakeholder approaches, with serious diagnostics of course. Wonder whether there is an evaluation of the DRC project you were involved, and if so what worked and what didn’t. As to donor focus on ‘low hanging fruits’, I am afraid that too often that has been an excuse not to even bring up higher level corruption, given the incentive not to rock any boat and to continue pushing money to governments out of the door irrespective of the extent of corruption at the higher levels.

]]> By: Michael Brown http://thekaufmannpost.net/international-anti-corruption-day-2009-an-hour-of-silence-to-reflect-and-reboot/comment-page-1/#comment-9552 Michael Brown Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:20:23 +0000 http://thekaufmannpost.net/?p=1512#comment-9552 Daniel, After five years of experience overseeing an effective USAID funded anti-corruption initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2002-2007) that could, and arguably should have been replicated across the country, I agree with your argument but would specify the following from our lessons learned: 1. as long as donors treat anti-corruption programming as essentially a policy and law based initiative, versus a participatory stakeholder initiative where the latter are involved in assessing corruption baselines, monitoring incidents across corruption types, advocating for administrative application of existing lawas and regulations, holding public administration and elected leadership acountable...anti-corruption work will remain primarily academic and of little on the ground relevance. 2. the DRC project (it was colloquially know as "Relance Economique du fleuve Congo et ses Affluents") we did proved the concept that (a) multi-stakeholder coalitions to fight corruption can be fashioned (b) even government officials can support it (c) for an initiative to work, geographic coverage must be strategic and substantial (d) civil society and business must drive the iniative (e) external technical assistance does have a key/nuanced role to play at various levels. 3. this type of initiative can be (a) cost effective (b) high profile (c) integrated with other sectoral programs to increase impact. 4. it is very unclear whether a genuine commitment to hands on fighting of administrative or grand corruption really exists. For it to be prioritized, donors will have a major role to play by initiating hands-on projects as demonstration of how/what works, and why it can be beneficial (to countries versus the corrupt). 5. Focusing on grand corruption is arguably counterproductive from a strategic and operational standpoint. Starting with administrative corruption as it is linked to local economies (or "development") is something most everyone across stakeholder groups can buy into. 6. It is hard to see how developing countries can and will develop until administrative and grand corruption is coherently tackled. Starting with the lower hanging fruit - administrative corruption which is slightly less threatening than grand corruption - offers operational advantages to enable momentum to be gained, and spread effect achieved as well. Looking forward to hearing any response. Happy new year. Michael Brown Daniel,

After five years of experience overseeing an effective USAID funded anti-corruption initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2002-2007) that could, and arguably should have been replicated across the country, I agree with your argument but would specify the following from our lessons learned:

1. as long as donors treat anti-corruption programming as essentially a policy and law based initiative, versus a participatory stakeholder initiative where the latter are involved in assessing corruption baselines, monitoring incidents across corruption types, advocating for administrative application of existing lawas and regulations, holding public administration and elected leadership acountable…anti-corruption work will remain primarily academic and of little on the ground relevance.
2. the DRC project (it was colloquially know as “Relance Economique du fleuve Congo et ses Affluents”) we did proved the concept that (a) multi-stakeholder coalitions to fight corruption can be fashioned (b) even government officials can support it (c) for an initiative to work, geographic coverage must be strategic and substantial (d) civil society and business must drive the iniative (e) external technical assistance does have a key/nuanced role to play at various levels.
3. this type of initiative can be (a) cost effective (b) high profile (c) integrated with other sectoral programs to increase impact.
4. it is very unclear whether a genuine commitment to hands on fighting of administrative or grand corruption really exists. For it to be prioritized, donors will have a major role to play by initiating hands-on projects as demonstration of how/what works, and why it can be beneficial (to countries versus the corrupt).
5. Focusing on grand corruption is arguably counterproductive from a strategic and operational standpoint. Starting with administrative corruption as it is linked to local economies (or “development”) is something most everyone across stakeholder groups can buy into.
6. It is hard to see how developing countries can and will develop until administrative and grand corruption is coherently tackled. Starting with the lower hanging fruit – administrative corruption which is slightly less threatening than grand corruption – offers operational advantages to enable momentum to be gained, and spread effect achieved as well.

Looking forward to hearing any response.

Happy new year.

Michael Brown

]]> By: Facilitation Payments No More - CIPE Development Blog http://thekaufmannpost.net/international-anti-corruption-day-2009-an-hour-of-silence-to-reflect-and-reboot/comment-page-1/#comment-7915 Facilitation Payments No More - CIPE Development Blog Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:19:22 +0000 http://thekaufmannpost.net/?p=1512#comment-7915 [...] fact, Daniel Kaufmann, over at his Governance Post, compains about lack of success in fighting corruption.  The WSJ piece notes that 58 FCPA cases have been initiated by the Justice Department in the past [...] [...] fact, Daniel Kaufmann, over at his Governance Post, compains about lack of success in fighting corruption.  The WSJ piece notes that 58 FCPA cases have been initiated by the Justice Department in the past [...]

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