Anti-Corruption Assessment Handbook (2009)

The purpose of this handbook is to provide USAID Missions and their implementing partners with an integrated framework and practical tools to conduct tailored anticorruption assessments efficiently and
at a level sufficiently detailed to produce targeted and prioritized recommendations for programming. The framework is guided by international best practice, theory and research, as well as the results of pilot assessments that tested earlier versions of the methodology. By offering a common approach by which the dynamics of corruption can be understood and assessed, USAID believes that anticorruption strategies can be improved and programs made more effective and appropriate to different country conditions.
The main objective of the assessment approach outlined in this handbook is to assure that assessments start by casting a wide analytical net to capture the breadth of issues that affect corruption and anticorruption prospects in a country and then provide a clearly-justified, strategic rationale for their final programmatic recommendations. This handbook provides step-by-step practical assistance to implement the methodology and produce an assessment report that addresses a wide range of issues and generates
recommendations for action.
The guidance provides assessment teams with tools for diagnosing the underlying causes of corruption by analyzing both the state of laws and institutions, as well as the political-economic dynamics of a country. By understanding country-specific drivers of corruption, assessment teams should be able to develop reasonable insights on government sectors and functions that are most vulnerable to corruption and the types of initiatives that can reverse or control these problems. The framework also provides a rationale for setting priorities, choosing some approaches and rejecting others.