Accountability arrangements to combat corruption : synthesis report and case study survey reports

The sustainability of the livelihoods of the poor in low- and middle-income countries is compromised by corruption in the delivery of infrastructure services. Such services include water supply, sanitation, drainage, the provision of access roads and paving, transport, solid waste management, street lighting and community buildings. Corruption in the delivery of public services reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of service provision and often leads to inequity in access to services. Corruption also has implications for the cost of services, the resources available for the maintenance or rehabilitation of systems, the extension of service provision and public confidence in the service provider. As a result, corruption generally leads to poor-quality infrastructure.

This review attempts to demonstrate the benefits of anti-corruption and accountability arrangements in infrastructure programs. In the first section infrastructure services, the stakeholders involved and the outputs of the services are defined. The second section explores corruption themes and how they relate to the delivery of infrastructure services. Finally, the review discusses accountability and rationale for applying it to the delivery of infrastructure services, and provides examples of how this can be done in practice. The case studies presented in this report reveal that there is a wide range of anti-corruption initiatives in developing and developed countries. A suitable legislative framework is generally a precondition for success, although this is not sufficient on its own and requires a high level of political will to be successfully implemented. A strong civil society is also an important precondition to ensure accountability.