THE CORRUPTION IN
FRAGILE STATES BLOG

I want to start by saying I didn't go into this work naive. I'd been reading corruption reports for years, citing them in my own papers, nodding along to the usual language about "weak oversight" and "institutional capacity gaps." I thought I knew the shape of the problem before I ever sat down with anyone.

If corruption persists despite legal and institutional reforms, the explanation lies elsewhere. The decision to explore social norms was not theoretical abstraction but an empirical necessity.

Whether you call it conscious bias or unconscious bias [….] procurement is still male dominated. The leaders are still men, decision-makers are men and procurement officials will find every reason to give a contract to a man, even though there's no objective reason.

The reasons this critically toxic nexus receives so little attention gurgled to the fore during The Corruption and Organized Crime Across the Conflict Cycle panel –– one of the four side events (out of 125!) giving it attention at CoSP11.

The anti-corruption field could not avoid being heavily hit by the slew of brutal executive orders of the new US administration. Around the world, programs were being slashed, heads were rolling, and livelihoods were being endangered. Apart from the termination of our Ugandan social norms change program, many of our partners and colleagues were also waking up to all forms of cancellations, terminations and freezing.

It is clear that if anti-corruption efforts ignore gender norms, they risk missing what animates so much corrupt behavior and what prevents people from resisting it. We now have better evidence, frameworks, and tools to understand and treat gender norms as core corruption drivers — not just as an obligatory add-on.

Being the family breadwinner when jobs, money, and resources are scarce is complicated. And more so if you’re a woman.

Enthusiasm for adopting strategies to capitalize on the role of social norms in sustainable behavior change has varied significantly by sector. The anti-corruption and good governance fields seem to have come later to the party.

Three connected blogs from 2024 that stood out.

There is a knowledge gap in how practitioners can change harmful social norms.

What have we learnt about gender and faith norms either exacerbating or mitigating pressure to engage in corrupt acts?

Adherence to a faith does not mean no tolerance for corruption.

Gender norms and social norms matter: Paul Bukuluki offers insight into the intersection between these norms and corrupt behaviors

Challenging assumptions about the drivers of vote-buying: It’s not the economy.

More effective ways to address endemic corruption are emerging, here are three from CJL's Jared Miller.

Corruption in Fragile States blog editor Catherine Garson chooses ‘five of the best’ from 2023. Find out what makes them excellent!

Drawing on invaluable lessons learnt, CJL’s Co-Director offers some useful Do’s and Don’ts for identifying social norms.

Nayma Qayum calls for AC programming that better understands the demand side motivations of ordinary citizens and the rural poor.

How should anti-corruption programs address police corruption? Riccardo D’Emidio calls for rethinking individual deterrence and punishment.

How can anti-corruption messaging work better? Jean-Benoit Falisse provides lessons from the field.