The article, which was co-authored by Itad partner Richard Burge, demonstrates how anti-corruption theory can be translated into well-designed law enforcement interventions by building on academic research on what works in tackling corruption. A theory of change approach has helped practitioners understand the contexts in which they are operating and why certain interventions are more likely to succeed than others.
The paper emphasises the importance of different kinds of capacity in Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs) and introduces three purpose-built tools for evaluating capacity building in ACAs:
- Organisational capacity assessment: to understand organisational leadership
- Network analysis: to analyse formal and informal networks among law enforcement professionals and other key actors
- Policy tracking: to collect evidence relevant to the sustainability of anti-corruption efforts in challenging contexts
The authors recognise that for ACAs to be successful, law enforcement work needs to consider wider social norms such as practices, behaviours and attitudes in society, as well as incentives and motivations when addressing root causes fuelling corruption, such as youth unemployment and inequality.
One of the highlights of the evaluation was to learn how it helped ACAs to think and act differently about the design and implementation of their interventions and apply the tools which were employed.
Itad was contracted to carry out two evaluations of the five-year UK DFID Caribbean Anti-Corruption Programme (CACP) in 2017. The CACP was designed to reduce crime through support for law enforcement agencies and financial investigations in Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean. A theory-based approach was employed to understand how, why and to what extent ACAs have achieved their outcomes and what contextual factors influenced their effectiveness.
Read the full paper.
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