Corruption - A social disease (Part 93): What to do if corruption prone programmes cannot be eliminated?
It is not always possible to eliminate all programmes that contribute to corruption.
Alternative options for distributing social benefits are sometimes restricted, for example drought relief. If programmes cannot be eliminated, they should be changed to be innovative, accountable and transparent. For example, overlapping jurisdictions, officers working in pairs and rotation can reduce corruption.
DRIVERS LICENSES
A programme in Namibia that cannot be eliminated is its driver's licence application system. However, the system can be streamlined, its staff reduced, staff paid better salaries and incentive bonuses for exception performance, and customers reporting bribery can receive a discount
Staff not needed can be relocated to other government institutions, retrained for latter mentioned positions and/or empowered to start their own businesses, encouraged to retire, and if that is not possible, retrenched.
These alternatives need to be communicated with staff on a transparent and ongoing basis so that it address their fears and uncertainties and do not come as a surprise to them. These alternatives can be handled in a social responsible way so that it adds the minimum to the challenge of unemployment.
In Namibia, the distribution of some social programmes, such as drought relief and the distribution of donor aid, are ingrained with corruption. Donor food supplies that were destined for flood victims were discovered rotting in a warehouse in Caprivi, some years ago.
In such cases, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with clean track records on corruption can temporarily take over the distribution process. This arrangement can continue until a "change of phase" or long-term multilevel change has been achieved and the system of distribution is transformed, where after the responsibility for distribution can revert back to government.
• References
Rose-Ackerman, S. 1999. Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences, and Reform. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[email protected]
Alternative options for distributing social benefits are sometimes restricted, for example drought relief. If programmes cannot be eliminated, they should be changed to be innovative, accountable and transparent. For example, overlapping jurisdictions, officers working in pairs and rotation can reduce corruption.
DRIVERS LICENSES
A programme in Namibia that cannot be eliminated is its driver's licence application system. However, the system can be streamlined, its staff reduced, staff paid better salaries and incentive bonuses for exception performance, and customers reporting bribery can receive a discount
Staff not needed can be relocated to other government institutions, retrained for latter mentioned positions and/or empowered to start their own businesses, encouraged to retire, and if that is not possible, retrenched.
These alternatives need to be communicated with staff on a transparent and ongoing basis so that it address their fears and uncertainties and do not come as a surprise to them. These alternatives can be handled in a social responsible way so that it adds the minimum to the challenge of unemployment.
In Namibia, the distribution of some social programmes, such as drought relief and the distribution of donor aid, are ingrained with corruption. Donor food supplies that were destined for flood victims were discovered rotting in a warehouse in Caprivi, some years ago.
In such cases, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with clean track records on corruption can temporarily take over the distribution process. This arrangement can continue until a "change of phase" or long-term multilevel change has been achieved and the system of distribution is transformed, where after the responsibility for distribution can revert back to government.
• References
Rose-Ackerman, S. 1999. Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences, and Reform. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[email protected]
Kommentaar
Republikein
Geen kommentaar is op hierdie artikel gelaat nie