The Many Faces of Corruption: Tracking Vulnerabilities at the Sector Level

Corruption... How can policymakers and practitioners better comprehend the many forms and shapes that this socialpandemic takes? From the delivery of essential drugs, the reduction in teacher absenteeism, the containment of illegal logging, the construction of roads, the provision of water andelectricity, the international trade in oil and gas, the conduct of public budgeting and procurement, and the management of public revenues, corruption shows its many faces. 'The Many Faces of Corruption' attempts to bring greater clarity to the often murky manifestations of this virulent and debilitating social disease. It explores the use of prototype road maps to identify corruption vulnerabilities, suggests corresponding 'warning signals,' and proposes operationally useful remedial measures in each of several selected sectors and for a selected sampleof cross cutting public sector functions that are particularlyprone to corruption and that are critical to sector performance.Numerous technical experts have come together in this effort to develop an operationally useful approach to diagnosing and tackling corruption. 'The Many Faces of Corruption' is an invaluable reference for policymakers, practitioners, andresearchers engaged in the business of development.

"The fight against corruption requires decisive action and shared commitment of all: governments, companies, development banks, and civil society. It is also a difficult road that is often only paved as one goes. This effort to understand corruption and its particular characteristics in different sectors is an important contribution to the fight against corruption and one that we hope will lead to increased impact." --Huguette Labelle, Chairperson, Transparency International

"This book is an eye-opener. But it does more than expose; it shows the way forward. The Many Faces of Corruption provides a taxonomy of the malfeasance that takes place in various areas of public life, ranging from education to the regulation of natural resources and the management of public finance. Much of what is described here is sordid and dreary. But this book also shows what works and describes successes that give us hope that the battle against corruption can be won." --Sheila S. Coronel, Director, Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University

"As the title of this book reminds us, corruption has many faces: causes, dynamics, and consequences, all of which vary by sector and require precisely tailored countermeasures. The wrong reforms in the wrong place, or at the wrong time, may not only waste scarce opportunities and resources but in fact may do considerable harm. Demonstrating and tracking progress is equally complicated: country-level indices will not suffice, and more appropriate measures are needed to capture the realities of differing sectors and functions of government. This book offers an essential and accessible introduction to high-level knowledge and thinking about corruption issues, opening up a new debate and new lines of attack that will be important as anticorruption efforts move into their next phases." --Michael Johnston, Charles A. Dana Professor of Political Science, Colgate University