Youth for Good Governance d i s t a n c e l e a r n i n g p r o g r a m

Module V

Seeing Corruption
The Power of Data

Module V

Seeing Corruption
The Power of Data
Section One: Module Overview This session will explore tools to measure corruption such as surveys of experts, public officials, house- holds, and business enterprises. You will see how these survey tools and results are central for improv- ing transparency, how they can empower civil society and the youth as an agent of change, and how they are used to design strategies to address corruption and institutional reform. Learning Objectives By the end of the module, you will be able to: explain how survey results are used to design strategies to address corruption and institu- tional reform discuss several tools used to measure corrup- tion such as diagnostic surveys and perception
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surveys of experts, public officials, households, and business enterprises interpret data from a mini-survey designed specifically for young people produce graphs and tables on governance on the particular issues and countries that inter- est you Participant Role You are encouraged to read all the materials in this handbook and attempt to complete all the exercises before the videoconference session. If you have any questions or need guidance with the exercises, contact your facilitator through the e-mail list that has been developed for the course. Section Two: Diagnostic Surveys Being able to understand and use statistical materi- al is an essential part of our daily lives. Such an understanding allows us to be intelligent and criti- cal consumers of news and research, and to deal more wisely with crucial political questions and issues, such as health care reform, public manage- ment and anti-corruption. Statistical material pro- vides the knowledge to respond effectively to gover- nance challenges. Knowledge is the true organ of sight, not the eyes. Panchantantra (c. 5th century) If we want to fight corruption, we need to find out what kind of problem we are facing. We need a diagnosis of the problem the same way a doctor diag- noses a patient before offering a treatment. Since corrupt acts are often hidden from view, getting this information can be difficult. Fortunately, corruption surveys have been shown to give reliable information on where the biggest problems are occurring. Surveys of households look at problems the typical household has with the government, say in getting a phone line or enrolling children in schools. Surveys of firms look at problems the firms have, for instance, in bringing machinery into the country through the customs office or getting necessary permits. Surveys of public officials look at how specific government offices work. For example, surveys produced the pie chart on the next page showing where corruption occurs in
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Georgiain this case based on an enterprise survey. Other dimensions are covered by surveys of public officials and of users of services and households. You are encouraged to visit this website for more country illustrations and details on these governance and anti- corruption surveys: www.worldbank.org/wbi/gover- nance/tools.htm. Where Does Corruption Occur in Georgia? The View of the Firm
Source: World Bank-GORBI survey of 350 enterprises, May 1998.

In addition to helping diagnose corruption, the surveys help raise awareness on the key challenges faced by the country institutions, in a more techno- cratic way than just hearsay or general wording issue. Those who answer the survey become more aware of the issue, and once the results are pub- lished, they stimulate debate and broader support for reforms. Hard data are also difficult for corrupt agencies and politicians to ignore. The surveys also
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establish a baseline (or a snapshot of how things were) against which the successes or failures of reform can be measured and monitored. The next figure shows how corruption in a country can change over time. Corruption in a Country Can Change Over Time
Selected countries; ICRG index, rescaled 010.

In the past, the absence of hard data on corrup- tion obscured its enormous costs and also gave cor- rupt politicians and businesspersons a cover, enabling them to dismiss allegations of corruption as politically motivated. But surveys from a number of countries have demonstrated the following results: competitive business enterprises lose profits and output from extorted bribes and are willing to pay higher taxes if corruption were eliminated; corrup- tion places a disproportionate economic burden on the poor; and in some settings public officials buy lucrative positions.

A number of countries have used surveys to guide anti-corruption efforts and create broader support for reforms. Corruption surveys and work- shops in Bolivia, for example, have led to an empha- sis on civil service and procurement reform, where- as in Latvia they have led to an emphasis on tax and customs reform. In Georgia, following the terrible survey results regarding the judicial branch, President Shevardnadze decided that all judges had to be retested, which was broadcast live on televi- sion. Two thirds of the judges failed the examination and were replaced. In Albania there was so much interest in the publication of the survey data that the previous days crucial World Cup soccer match between neighbor- ing Romania and Croatia was bumped off the front pages of the nations newspapers to make way for charts and graphs. This example shows how badly people want to rid their societies of corruption and how effective an informed public can be. Section Three: Perception Surveys While in-depth diagnostic surveys examine corruption in just one country, perception surveys examine the problem across a large number of countries and so can show where corruption problems are perceived to be higher and where they are perceived to be lower around the world. Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index is probably the best- known example, and is published every year. There are other aggregate worldwide indices as well: one of them is generated through a research project at the World Bank for many dimensions of governance (including corruption) and available at the website www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance/maps/.For the corruption dimension in the late 1990s, for instance, it produced the map on the next page with colour- ing that follows a traffic light approach to quickly visualize whether the country is doing well or not. This map illustrates corruption control in countries around the world in 1998. It is based on perceptions of corruption of a large number of enterprises, citi- zens and experts in industrial and developing coun- tries, as well as non-governmental organizations, com- mercial risk rating agencies, and think tanks. Due to the standard errors associated with the data, the map is for illustrative purposes only. For a more detailed description of the data, please refer to the Excel data files and the research papers in the webpage www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance/gov_data.htm. This map does not represent official endorsements by the World Bank or its Executive Directors.
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1. Find your country on the map at left. How does your country compare to other countries in its level of corruption? How does your country com- pare to other countries in the region? 2. In what regions are corruption levels generally higher? In what regions are corruption levels gen- erally lower? 3. Why do certain kinds of countries have more or less serious problems with corruption? 4. Is it the case that even within regions where on average there are high levels of corruption there are countries that perform well in control- ling corruption? What countries in Africa, Eastern Europe/Baltics, East Asia and Latin America have better control of corruption indicators than some industrialized (OECD) countries, and what can we learn from this? 5. Do you know anything about the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index that ranks countries based on perceived levels of cor- ruption? (See www.transparency.org.)

Section Four: Exploring the Pilot Survey We have now discussed the different kinds of surveys people can use and their overall purposes and the effects they have on policy, public opinion and activism. Let us now turn to a survey that was con- ducted in 2001 with a group of students from four countries in West Africa during a pilot module on corruption. In the following pages you will see some of the questions the participants were asked and look into some of the results that came up after the survey. The charts below show their answers to these five questions: These students from West Africa reported that they hear about corruption most often in the media, usually many times a month. These students also 2. What comes first to mind when you hear the word "corruption" mentioned in discussions? (Cameroon, Mauritania, Senegal, and Togo) bribing 1. How often do you hear conversations/read about
a policeman

corruption in the following settings? (Cameroon,

r igging elections Senegal, and Togo) giving a bribe to pass an exam or to get admission into school/college 25 politicians giving unqualified family members a job In classroom with teacher Among students At home with parents In the media politicians stealing Never A few times government money About once a month Many times a month g iving bribes to get medical 20 treatment

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5 0 hear about corruption at home on a regular basis, and hear about corruption in the classroom at least occasionally. They were least likely to hear about cor- ruption in conversations with each other. How does your experience compare to theirs? Students most often thought of bribes to pass an exam or get into school when the word corruption was mentioned. They also frequently thought of brib- ing a policeman and politicians stealing government money. Do you think the students had direct experi- ence with these kinds of corruption, or did they hear about them in the news?

3. What would you consider the most costly negative 4. What percentage of public contracts (e.g., building consequence of corruption in your country? a road for the government or supplying textbooks (Cameroon, Mauritania, Senegal, and Togo) to public schools) awarded within your country do you think is tanted by corruption?
reduces economic growth and investment in the country increases poverty (fewer public 75 100% 0 services to the poor) 25% increases political instability threatens moral foundation of the country Cameroon 75 100% 25 45% 70 85% Senegal Mauritania 50 75% 50 75% 25 50% 0

These students thought the most costly conse25%

quence of corruption was that it reduces economic growth and investment and that it increases poverty. How might the response to this question be differ25 50%

ent in other countries? These students thought that at least half of pub- lic contracts are tainted by corruption. Does this seem high?
dont know 13 12

5. In your view, which profession is the most vulnerable to corruption in your country? (Cameroon, Mauritania, Senegal, and Togo) As a class, you will develop a short survey on corbusinessmen

ruption, focusing on attitudes and perceptions about corruption. Working in small groups, each policemen group will write one question for the survey, and
military

then your teacher or a designated student can bring all the questions together in the survey. To politicians the extent possible, you should write multiplelawyers and judges

choice questions and not open-ended questions.

civil servants

After class, you will use the survey to interview five people in your community. You can interview your family members, friends outside this class, neighbors, and other people that you know. Students in West Africa viewed businessmen, In class, your teacher will ask for a show of policemen, and politicians were seen as the most hands to add up the responses to the questions. If corrupt professions. How do your views compare? time permits, you will make a short presentation in the videoconference on your findings, but you will also post the survey results on the website, so you can compare your survey questions and We have now discussed the use of surveys; the responses to those from other schools. different types and the reasons why using survey can be very helpful in fighting corruption. We would Do these findings surprise you? now like you to develop a survey of your own. How would the findings help you design a strategy to fight corruption? How similar are the survey questions and responses across the schools participating in this course?
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Notes Notes 17 16