Transparency International (TI) launched its new Pocket Guide of Good Practices for Preventing Corruption in Humanitarian Operations in Bangkok, an abridged version of the guide that was first published in February 2010, less than one month after the earthquake in Haiti.
World Vision International, one of seven aid agencies which helped in the preparation of the handbook, approached TI and suggested the creation of a more compact version that would be easier to use for humanitarian staff in the field. The result is this “cargo-pants pocket guide”.
The handbook is the culmination of several years of research into corruption risks in aid delivery. It draws on first-hand experiences of rescue efforts during numerous civil conflicts and natural disasters, beginning with the 2004 post-tsunami emergency response. It was compiled with the help and collaboration of Action Aid, CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Lutheran World Federation, Save the Children USA and World Vision International. Field research was carried out by teams from TI, the Feinstein International Center of Tufts University and the Humanitarian Policy Group of the Overseas Development Institute.
Countries in which humanitarian emergencies occur often suffer high levels of perceived corruption prior to an emergency. Past experience has shown that the injection of large amounts of resources into poor economies and damaged infrastructures can exacerbate power imbalances and increase opportunities for corruption.
The immense organizational challenges in suddenly expanding the scope and scale of humanitarian aid programmes are often accompanied by pressure to deliver these services rapidly. This poses the risk that aid is diverted by powerful groups and embedded corrupt networks. Corruption can also negatively impact the morale of humanitarian agency staff and their local partners, and can damage organizations’ reputations.
The goal of the handbook and its pocket edition is to be a practical guide that is easy to use in the field. Many aid agencies are already incorporating the handbook’s policies and practices into their own operational manuals and staff training exercises. At a workshop at the Inter Action Forum 2010, the Overseas Finance Director at Catholic Relief Services (CRS) reported that the partnership with TI had fundamentally changed the way it viewed corruption risks. Some partner agencies have also used the handbook tools in their responses to Haiti’s earthquake and the flooding in Pakistan.
TI will use the handbook as a framework for monitoring and evaluating corruption risks and risk mitigation efforts in specific emergency contexts. One project involves the TI chapter in Haiti, which is working with affected communities and local civil society organisations to monitor the implementation of relief, recovery and reconstruction aid on the ground in Haiti. TI will use the research to propose remedial reforms and policy measures to the Haitian government, donors and aid implementing agencies.
As the handbook and pocket guide are intended as living documents, they will evolve and change over time with additional partners in the humanitarian community continually updating and improving the analysis of the corruption risks encountered in emergency responses.