Research & Analytics
ANNUAL REPORT 2022
Research is one of the central elements of IACA’s mandate and helps to support the organization’s programmes, activities, and technical assistance around the world. By making our research outputs available to a broad audience, IACA intends to position itself as a centre of innovative thinking in anti-corruption, compliance, and collective action.
The “Fighting Criminality and Corruption” Project in Romania
In November 2022, IACA signed a project agreement with the Public Ministry of Romania funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. The aim of the project is a comprehensive assessment of the overall resources allocated to conduct financial investigations and of the results achieved by the Public Ministry of Romania (Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice), National Anti-corruption Directorate, and Directorate for Investigation Organized Crime and Terrorism in 2018-2020. The amount of funding is EUR 300.000.
The project should be implemented by 25 January 2024.
Research on Typologies of Corruption Offences in the Business Sector
In 2022, IACA started research on typologies of corruption offences in the business sector. Reports on typologies can help companies to assess the risk of corruption and implement policies on due diligence, risk management, conflict of interest, gifts and hospitality and internal investigations.
An article entitled “The Role of Ethics and Compliance in Preventing Typical Corrupt Practices” has been submitted, peer reviewed and accepted for publication in the Yearbook 2023 for Global Ethics, Compliance and Integrity by Peter Lang publishing.
Second Revised Edition of the Overview of Anti-Corruption Compliance Standards and Guidelines
The first edition of the Overview of Anti-Corruption Compliance Standards and Guidelines was published in 2019 and received very positive feedback from the professional anti-corruption community. This Overview aims to support the implementation of effective and efficient anti-corruption compliance management systems, especially by SMEs. The publication is a practical tool that considers the principles, standards and recommendations from major intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, including UNODC, World Bank, OECD, FATF, ICC, and ISO.
In 2022, in response to new international initiatives and documents, IACA published the Second Revised Edition of the Overview of Anti-Corruption Compliance Standards and Guidelines. This practical tool can be found on IACA’s website (www.iaca.int) under Research.
The second edition of the Overview includes new ideas from guidelines and benchmarking reports that had been published between 2019 – 2022 by OECD, FATF, ICC, the U.S. Department of Justice, the French Anti-Corruption Authority, and other relevant organizations. The revised edition is part of IACA’s commitment to maintain up-to-date, state-of-the-art tools to aid anti-corruption professionals around the world.
Integrity and Anti-Corruption Compliance in Sport and Integrity and Anti-Corruption Compliance in the Humanitarian Aid Sector
To safeguard sports and the humanitarian aid sector from corrupt practices and cover gaps in anti-corruption and compliance research, IACA conducted preliminary analyses, identified relevant stakeholders and designed research projects on Integrity and Anti-Corruption Compliance in Sport and on Integrity and Anti-Corruption Compliance in the Humanitarian Aid Sector. The projects focus on typologies of corruption offences, types of relationships vulnerable for corrupt practices, analysis of codes of conduct, integrity and compliance programmes and whistleblower hotlines of sports and humanitarian aid organizations. The studies shall establish a solid background for future certification programmes, trainings, and capacity building activities of the Academy.
IACA presented outcomes of its research and analytical activities in statements for the sessions of the Second, Third and Sixth Committees of the UN GA, the Global Summit for Democracy, BRICS Anti-Corruption Workshop, General Assembly of EPAC/EACN, and many other international events, organized by OSCE, OECD, UNODC, Interpol, NAUSS in cooperation with CEPOL and the Union of Arab Banks. These statements covered a broad range of topics, such as corruption and the implementation of SDGs, corruption and the rule of law, combating money laundering and illicit financial flows, interagency cooperation and coordination, asset recovery and whistleblowers protection.
The book chapter "Strengthening the Rule of Law, Fighting Corruption" has been submitted, peer reviewed and accepted for publication in 2023 by Routledge publishing, UK.
Global Programme on Measuring Corruption
Measuring corruption is extraordinarily difficult and complex. Since the 2017 G7 summit, the international community has highlighted a need to develop new corruption indicators. In 2019, the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) Conference of the State Parties (COSP) passed resolution 8/10 on Measurement of Corruption. Under Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20 in 2020 there was a significant prioritisation of corruption measurement. In 2021, a Compendium on the Measurement of Corruption by G20 countries was published under Italy’s presidency. In response to the international call for improved measures of corruption, the International Anti-Corruption Academy launched the GPMC in May 2022.
The first phase of the GPMC has two research workstreams: consultation and innovation. Consultation with practitioners is necessary to better understand their needs, e.g., in tracking progress, seeking intelligence to inform investment decisions, or building an evidence base to hold governments to account. Through the innovation workstream, the GPMC seeks to further research thematic areas that are viewed as a priority and insufficiently addressed in the corruption measurement space.
This first phase began implementation in September 2022. The period from May to August 2022 was comprised of the inception phase which involved team orientation, programme set up, workplan design, risk management, the development of a communications strategy and putting in place the necessary operational processes for the programme to function.
During the period of September to December 2022 the GPMC achieved the following outcomes:
Research outcomes:
- Two (of four) country research visits were completed, and Insights Brief published – Italy (Sep 2022) and Brazil (Oct 2022). Over 30 stakeholder entities were consulted from the government, private sector, academia and civil society. Emerging findings suggest that new measurement methods should be designed with a view to ensuring wide applicability – i.e., based on data that can be collected in low- and high-income contexts; that are sufficiently granular and accurate to inform action and motivate reform.
- Two (of four) Expert ‘Think-ins’ were completed, and Insights Briefs published – seeding innovation to develop measures for some of these gaps (Measuring Integrity and Measuring Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs)) - convening sixteen (16) scholars and practitioners from leading international, academic and civil-society organizations with a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
- A semi-systematic mapping of existing corruption measurement methods was also completed which identified key gaps in existing measures.
Partnerships and engagement activities:
- Participated in fourteen (14) international events to raise awareness of the programme and secure engagement.
- Established early-stage multilateral working relationships with UNDP, the World Bank and UNODC.
- Established the programmes brand, including social media presence, publication of a promotional video and launched the programmes podcast ‘Measurement Matters’ producing two episodes within the period.