With the approach of the International Day Against Corruption, celebrated last December 9, we want to once again shed light on the need to produce data that help in the development of policies to fight corruption.
Unethical acts such as misuse of public resources, conflict of interest or failing to comply with rules do not seem to surprise us anymore. From a citizen’s perspective, however, corruption is unacceptable, not only because of the negative impact on economic development and institutional trust, but also because these negative impacts are even greater on the most vulnerable groups in society.
Corruption is multifaceted and complex, and often involves public officials. Unfortunately, we know very little about the perspective of the servers themselves, their experiences and perceptions about corruption in Brazil. Listening to the civil servants’ perspective allows us to understand the impact of the rules in practice, fight corruption and, consequently, guide the reformulation of the anti-corruption legal framework, adapting it to everyday practices.
Research on Ethics and Corruption in the Federal Public Service, led by the World Bank and the CGU (General Comptroller of the Union), offers a civil service perspective on corruption. A total of 22 thousand federal civil servants, distributed among all federal entities, responded to the survey. Among the findings, it is noteworthy that 58.7% of federal civil servants interviewed had already observed some unethical practice in their time of service in the public sector. What else does the new evidence show us and how can we strengthen the fight against corruption?
According to the survey, in the last three years (April 2018 to April 2021), around a third of servers (33.4%) witnessed some unethical act in Brazil. The most frequent practices are related to using the position to help friends or family and failing to follow the rules due to pressure from superiors. Denouncing acts of corruption is not easy, as some acts of this type leave no trace and it is difficult to prove them. In the country, 51.7% of public servants do not feel safe to report an illegal conduct, even though the Civil Servant Statute stipulates the civil servant’s obligation to report this type of act. Only a third of respondents who reported having observed an unethical act declared to have reported it. Among the main challenges faced by public servants, the lack of protection (59.7%) and the complexity of the process to report (35.9%) stand out.
A positive sign is the fact that having access to integrity programs is related to a lesser feeling of insecurity when reporting. A total of 68% of respondents who say they have been trained in an integrity program report feeling safe when reporting. However, only 31.3% of employees reported having been trained in the integrity program in their organization. Only 36% of public servants say their leaders regularly promote the integrity program. It is essential to improve training to clarify and facilitate the reporting of unethical acts. Leadership must continue to support programs that promote a culture of integrity.
In addition to asking questions about direct experiences with corruption, the survey also assessed the perception of unethical practices during the Covid-19 crisis. During the pandemic, 55.9% of civil servants said that practices such as political interference remained the same or increased, and 50.6% reported an increase in conflicts of interest between public and private services. In addition, 22.4% of public servants say that decisions about hiring and purchasing made with little transparency and no accountability have increased, and 22.2%, lobbying between the public and private sectors.
Despite these enormous challenges, most employees agree, in whole or in part, that their organization’s rules and regulations are duly transparent (61.6%) and strictly enforced (68.7%). With regard to human resources management, a portion of public servants expressed a positive opinion, with 35.1% considering it transparent, and 23.1% considering it meritocratic. Despite this, officials still express concern about the influence of political connections and friendships on the career advancement system.
This new evidence on experiences and perceptions is critical to improving anti-corruption policies. As is the case in many countries around the world, strengthening the legal framework against corruption is not enough. It is no use having legislation without proper implementation. Therefore, listening to the opinion of public servants, generating new evidence to formulate or improve public policies, can provide new information on relevant areas of action.
The biggest danger is that corruption becomes routine and ceases to surprise us to the point where it is accepted as a common occurrence. All kinds of corruption affect us and are unacceptable. There is no corruption big or small. Therefore, efforts to help fight it are always welcome.​
This column was written in collaboration with World Bank colleagues Daniel Ortega Nieto, Senior Governance Specialist, and Galileo Kim, Consultant.
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I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
