A Handbook on fighting corruption

This handbook presents a framework to assist USAID missions develop strategic responses to public corruption. The framework sets out root causes of corruption, identifies a range of institutional and societal reforms to address them, and introduces a methodology for selecting among these measures. Firstly, it lays out the development problems posed by corruption by showing that corruption arises from institutional attributes of the State and societal attitudes toward formal political processes. Secondly, it provides a framework for developing responses to these problems. Possible responses include institutional reforms to limit authority, improve accountability, and realign incentives, as well as societal reforms to change attitudes and mobilise political will for sustained anti-corruption interventions. This framework includes a methodology for assessing the nature of the corruption problem and the opportunities and constraints for addressing it. Finally, the handbook provides an overview of the USAID anti-corruption efforts to date and the activities of other donors and organisation working in anti-corruption.