[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":637},["ShallowReactive",2],{"publication-informal-networks-invisible-drivers-corruption-and-implications-anti-corruption":3,"related-informal-networks-invisible-drivers-corruption-and-implications-anti-corruption":169},[4],{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"date_created":8,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":20,"link_internal":22,"link_external":23,"featured":19,"topics":27,"languages":29,"type":30,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"image":32,"countries":42,"tags":43,"pdf":117,"authors":118},1925,"published",null,"2022-04-27T11:55:01.000Z","2026-05-29T22:23:02.000Z",217,"informal-networks-invisible-drivers-corruption-and-implications-anti-corruption","Informal networks: the invisible drivers of corruption and implications for anti-corruption practice","Conventional anti-corruption approaches advocate for the adoption of legal and institutional reforms in line with international best practices. Nevertheless, these anti-corruption frameworks are often weakly implemented across the Global South. Overcoming these limitations invites the rethinking of some of the core assumptions of anti-corruption practice, which has mainly aimed to address poor accountability and weak law enforcement capabilities of the state. A promising perspective brings in the dimensions of sociality and informality to shed light on context-specific factors, such as social norms and informal power structures, that are associated with high levels of corruption.\n\nTwo of our research projects have evidenced the role of informal social networks in fuelling corruption. At the grassroots, social networks are key to solving problems on the basis of an economy of favours that seamlessly penetrates the public sector. Top-down, grand corruption is perpetuated by networks of elites that engage in mutually favourable exchanges to promote their respective interests, in the process effecting an informal re-distribution of public resources.\n\nThis publication appeared in the Public Administration Review's recent Blog Symposium dedicated to the topic of corruption.\n ","Baez Camargo, C., Stahl, C., Kassa, S. (2018) Informal networks: the invisible drivers of corruption and implications for anti-corruption practice. Public Administration Review","English",2018,"Public Administration Review","2018-10-22",false,[21],"Public Governance",[],[24],{"url":25,"caption":26},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.publicadministrationreview.com\u002F2018\u002F10\u002F22\u002F627\u002F","View article on Public Administration Review website",[28],"Corruption Prevention and Public Governance",[15],[31],"Article",{"id":33,"storage":34,"filename_disk":35,"filename_download":36,"title":36,"type":37,"created_on":8,"modified_on":8,"charset":7,"filesize":38,"width":39,"height":40,"duration":7,"embed":7,"description":7,"location":7,"tags":7,"metadata":41,"focal_point_x":7,"focal_point_y":7,"tus_id":7,"tus_data":7,"uploaded_on":8},"d394d4f8-f466-4c50-8921-5e8f48d26872","local","d394d4f8-f466-4c50-8921-5e8f48d26872.png","informalnetworksarticle.png","image\u002Fpng",352254,1692,1486,{},[],[44,69,85,101],{"id":45,"publications_id":46,"tags_id":66},4976,{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":8,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":33,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":49,"link_internal":50,"link_external":51,"featured":19,"topics":53,"languages":54,"type":55,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":56,"tags":57,"pdf":61,"authors":62},"03bebfd8-0b40-4a2a-820d-b9d9c13b9de6","3d9ff205-1640-4f34-b5b6-86977f51bbd6",[21],[],[52],{"url":25,"caption":26},[28],[15],[31],[],[45,58,59,60],4977,4978,4979,[],[63,64,65],2097,2098,2099,{"id":67,"name":68},1309,"Informality",{"id":58,"publications_id":70,"tags_id":82},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":8,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":33,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":71,"link_internal":72,"link_external":73,"featured":19,"topics":75,"languages":76,"type":77,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":78,"tags":79,"pdf":80,"authors":81},[21],[],[74],{"url":25,"caption":26},[28],[15],[31],[],[45,58,59,60],[],[63,64,65],{"id":83,"name":84},1373,"Corruption prevention",{"id":59,"publications_id":86,"tags_id":98},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":8,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":33,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":87,"link_internal":88,"link_external":89,"featured":19,"topics":91,"languages":92,"type":93,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":94,"tags":95,"pdf":96,"authors":97},[21],[],[90],{"url":25,"caption":26},[28],[15],[31],[],[45,58,59,60],[],[63,64,65],{"id":99,"name":100},982,"Anti-corruption",{"id":60,"publications_id":102,"tags_id":114},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":8,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":33,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":103,"link_internal":104,"link_external":105,"featured":19,"topics":107,"languages":108,"type":109,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":110,"tags":111,"pdf":112,"authors":113},[21],[],[106],{"url":25,"caption":26},[28],[15],[31],[],[45,58,59,60],[],[63,64,65],{"id":115,"name":116},973,"Corruption",[],[119,136,153],{"id":63,"publications_id":120,"authors_id":132},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":8,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":33,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":121,"link_internal":122,"link_external":123,"featured":19,"topics":125,"languages":126,"type":127,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":128,"tags":129,"pdf":130,"authors":131},[21],[],[124],{"url":25,"caption":26},[28],[15],[31],[],[45,58,59,60],[],[63,64,65],{"id":133,"name":134,"position":7,"image":135},295,"Claudia Baez Camargo","efaca248-6b57-4e2e-af40-614056eb022c",{"id":64,"publications_id":137,"authors_id":149},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":8,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":33,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":138,"link_internal":139,"link_external":140,"featured":19,"topics":142,"languages":143,"type":144,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":145,"tags":146,"pdf":147,"authors":148},[21],[],[141],{"url":25,"caption":26},[28],[15],[31],[],[45,58,59,60],[],[63,64,65],{"id":150,"name":151,"position":7,"image":152},303,"Saba Kassa","a34de431-6c31-4ddd-8727-12c10dfed9ad",{"id":65,"publications_id":154,"authors_id":166},{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":8,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":9,"nid":10,"slug":11,"image":33,"title":12,"body":13,"citation":14,"language":15,"year":16,"publisher":17,"date_published":18,"external":19,"topic":155,"link_internal":156,"link_external":157,"featured":19,"topics":159,"languages":160,"type":161,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":162,"tags":163,"pdf":164,"authors":165},[21],[],[158],{"url":25,"caption":26},[28],[15],[31],[],[45,58,59,60],[],[63,64,65],{"id":167,"name":168,"position":7,"image":7},354,"Cosimo Stahl",[170,225,280,320,368,438,488,537,568,601],{"id":171,"slug":172,"title":173,"status":6,"nid":174,"year":175,"body":176,"external":19,"topic":177,"language":15,"type":178,"date_published":180,"image":181,"citation":182,"publisher":183,"link_internal":184,"link_external":188,"authors":189,"countries":198,"tags":207,"pdf":218,"topics":220,"featured":19,"languages":221,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":222,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":223,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":224},1760,"policy-brief-9-informal-networks-and-what-they-mean-anti-corruption-practice","Policy Brief 9: Informal networks and what they mean for anti-corruption practice",2166,2022,"Corruption is frequently associated with money alone and the behaviours of a few individual “bad apples” operating in otherwise healthy governance systems. This is too simplistic. As the latest research shows, including research in Tanzania and Uganda on which this Policy Brief is based, corruption is a networked phenomenon. This Policy Brief explains what this means and its implications for anti-corruption practice.\n\nWhen ordinary citizens and business people face problems, like constrained access to public services or an uneven playing field, they invest time, effort and resources in building informal networks.\n\nHeld together by personal connections and corrupt payments, these informal networks are a problem-solving mechanism. They allow members – such as business people, other citizens and public officials – to pursue a variety of goals. The networks aid in easing access to public services, for example, or helping a business to run smoothly, or securing business opportunities with the government. Informal networks can be leveraged to speed up long and complicated permit processes or exploit weaknesses in formal tender processes to obtain undue access to contracts. When red tape is used by public officials to extort bribes from service users, informal networks can help manage and overcome these demands. \n\nIn contexts in which these informal networks are widespread, the research shows that conventional anti-corruption measures, such as introducing more regulations, policies and controls, can actually backfire and increase corruption. \n\nBreaking this self-reinforcing cycle of networked corruption requires a shift in thinking and approaches:\n\n\n- **Focusing on networked corruption** as opposed to individual corrupt behaviours.\n- **Tackling corruption both from the demand and the supply side** by addressing inefficiencies and weaknesses in public systems that cause problems for ordinary citizens and business people. This may make it less likely that they will resort to corruption through informal networks to overcome the public service weaknesses.\n- **Harnessing informal networks for anti-corruption objectives.** This includes leveraging new insights into social norms and networks and establishing Collective Action initiatives to better target the underlying drivers of corruption.\n\n\n## About this Policy Brief\n\nThis publication is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Policy Brief series, ISSN 2624-9669. It presents findings from a research project entitled “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Face.globalintegrity.org\u002Fprojects\u002Finformality\u002F\">Harnessing informality: Designing anti-corruption network interventions and strategic use of legal instruments\u003C\u002Fa>”, funded by UK Aid as part of the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence Programme (GI-ACE).\n\nIt is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). ",[21],[179],"Policy Brief","2022-02-21","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fc9f50b43-2246-4e39-a1b1-052b0e9829f1?width=600&height=840","Baez Camargo, Claudia, Jacopo Costa, and Saba Kassa. 2022. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fpolicy-brief-9-informal-networks-and-what-they-mean-anti-corruption-practice\">Informal networks and what they mean for anti-corruption practice.\u003C\u002Fa> *Policy Brief* 9, Basel Institute on Governance.","Basel Institute on Governance",[185],{"url":186,"caption":187},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Policy%20Brief"," View all Policy Briefs",[],[190,192,196],{"authors_id":191},{"id":133,"name":134},{"authors_id":193},{"id":194,"name":195},304,"Jacopo Costa",{"authors_id":197},{"id":150,"name":151},[199,203],{"countries_id":200},{"id":201,"name":202},224,"Tanzania",{"countries_id":204},{"id":205,"name":206},226,"Uganda",[208,210,214,216],{"tags_id":209},{"id":99,"name":100},{"tags_id":211},{"id":212,"name":213},909,"Collective Action",{"tags_id":215},{"id":115,"name":116},{"tags_id":217},{"id":67,"name":68},[219],1786,[28],[15],"2022-04-27T11:53:17.000Z","2026-06-02T14:09:04.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fpolicy-brief-9-informal-networks-and-what-they-mean-anti-corruption-practice",{"id":226,"slug":227,"title":228,"status":6,"nid":229,"year":175,"body":230,"external":19,"topic":231,"language":15,"type":232,"date_published":233,"image":234,"citation":235,"publisher":236,"link_internal":237,"link_external":247,"authors":251,"countries":260,"tags":265,"pdf":274,"topics":275,"featured":19,"languages":276,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":277,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":278,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":279},2221,"informal-networks-investment-qualitative-analysis-uganda-and-tanzania","Informal networks as investment: A qualitative analysis from Uganda and Tanzania",2277,"Published in the peer-reviewed journal *Governance*, this paper interprets informal networks as investments made by citizens and business people to cope with the public sphere. Informal networks often orchestrate corruption, connecting public and private actors. The paper aims to understand their key characteristics, scopes, and functional roles.\n\nTen mini case studies from Tanzania and Uganda are studied. The research applies narrative analysis to explore the experiences of citizens, entrepreneurs, and low-level public officials, who built informal networks as a problem-solving mechanism. It uses a grounded theory approach. The findings serve as working hypotheses about variables and patterns emerging from the bottom-up analysis.\n\nThe paper outlines:\n\n\n- Whether there are distinct types of informal networks associated with particular types of corruption;\n- How, why and by whom these networks are built;\n- Whether different individuals play specific roles;\n- The unwritten expectations and norms that govern such networks.\n\n\nThe results highlight critical implications for anti-corruption practice, showing, for example, how this can be strengthened by shifting the intervention unit from individuals to networks.\n\n### About this article\n\nThis peer-reviewed article is based on extensive field research and analysis conducted by the Basel Institute's Public Governance team in Tanzania and Uganda. The research was funded by UK Aid under the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence (GI-ACE) programme. See the links below for the open-access research outputs, including a full research report and two sets of case studies.",[21],[31],"2022-08-25","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F1771fed4-0a6d-4050-88ce-494e877fab4e?width=600&height=840","","Governance (Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the IPSA Structure and Organization of Government Committee)",[238,241,244],{"url":239,"caption":240},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Finformal-networks-investment-east-africa"," View open access research report: Informal networks as investment in East Africa",{"url":242,"caption":243},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fcase-studies-tanzania-gi-ace-research-informal-networks-and-corruption"," View case studies from Tanzania",{"url":245,"caption":246},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fcase-studies-uganda-gi-ace-research-informal-networks-and-corruption"," View case studies from Uganda",[248],{"url":249,"caption":250},"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1111\u002Fgove.12726","View peer-reviewed article on Wiley Online Library",[252,254,256],{"authors_id":253},{"id":133,"name":134},{"authors_id":255},{"id":194,"name":195},{"authors_id":257},{"id":258,"name":259},359,"Lucy Koechlin",[261,263],{"countries_id":262},{"id":201,"name":202},{"countries_id":264},{"id":205,"name":206},[266,268,272],{"tags_id":267},{"id":99,"name":100},{"tags_id":269},{"id":270,"name":271},848,"Behavioural science",{"tags_id":273},{"id":67,"name":68},[],[28],[15],"2022-09-06T14:10:21.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:59.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Finformal-networks-investment-qualitative-analysis-uganda-and-tanzania",{"id":281,"slug":282,"title":283,"status":6,"nid":284,"year":285,"body":286,"external":19,"topic":287,"language":15,"type":288,"date_published":290,"image":291,"citation":292,"publisher":183,"link_internal":293,"link_external":297,"authors":298,"countries":303,"tags":306,"pdf":313,"topics":315,"featured":19,"languages":316,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":317,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":318,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":319},2324,"research-case-5","Research Case Study 5: Harnessing behavioural approaches against corruption",2550,2023,"Social norms and behaviour change (SNBC) approaches are a promising complement to conventional anti-corruption strategies. Adopting a context-sensitive and nuanced approach is an essential ingredient for success.\n\nWe wanted to understand if and how behavioural approaches can promote anti-corruption outcomes, as well as conditions for success.\n\nTo do this we reviewed research from 2016–2022 on the use of behavioural approaches in anti-corruption practice. We also analysed our practical experience designing and piloting an intervention to tackle social norms of reciprocity which fuel bribery in health facilities in Tanzania.",[21],[289],"Research Case Study","2023-12-05","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fa4b5e14a-9841-4feb-8411-335c9f972aba?width=600&height=840","Baez Camargo, Claudia, and Saba Kassa. 2023. ‘Harnessing behavioural approaches against corruption.’ Research Case Study 5, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: baselgov- ernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-5.",[294],{"url":295,"caption":296},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Research%20Case%20Study"," View all research case studies",[],[299,301],{"authors_id":300},{"id":133,"name":134},{"authors_id":302},{"id":150,"name":151},[304],{"countries_id":305},{"id":201,"name":202},[307,309,311],{"tags_id":308},{"id":270,"name":271},{"tags_id":310},{"id":67,"name":68},{"tags_id":312},{"id":99,"name":100},[314],2360,[28],[15],"2023-12-06T11:04:47.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:43.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-5",{"id":321,"slug":322,"title":323,"status":6,"nid":324,"year":285,"body":325,"external":19,"topic":326,"language":15,"type":327,"date_published":328,"image":329,"citation":235,"publisher":183,"link_internal":330,"link_external":335,"authors":336,"countries":339,"tags":348,"pdf":361,"topics":363,"featured":19,"languages":364,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":365,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":366,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":367},2283,"research-case-3","Research Case Study 3: Exposing the networks behind transnational corruption and money laundering schemes",2454,"Corruption is increasingly understood as a form of collective, social behaviour. It slips easily across borders and involves sophisticated financial strategies and transactions to launder the stolen money. \n\nYet the nexus between corruption and money laundering is poorly understood. So too are the structures, functions and mechanisms that enable these crimes.\n\nWe applied analytical tools to reveal the complex networks behind a corruption and money laundering scheme involving Odebrecht and Peru’s former president. The insights can support strategic approaches to fight transnational corruption.",[21],[289],"2023-05-31","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fca5d66b9-58f2-42fd-afa6-1d3224f01f9d?width=600&height=840",[331,334],{"url":332,"caption":333},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fworking-paper-36-revealing-networks-behind-corruption-and-money-laundering-schemes"," View related Working Paper",{"url":295,"caption":296},[],[337],{"authors_id":338},{"id":194,"name":195},[340,344],{"countries_id":341},{"id":342,"name":343},171,"Peru",{"countries_id":345},{"id":346,"name":347},29,"Brazil",[349,353,355,357],{"tags_id":350},{"id":351,"name":352},879,"Money laundering",{"tags_id":354},{"id":67,"name":68},{"tags_id":356},{"id":83,"name":84},{"tags_id":358},{"id":359,"name":360},818,"Anti-money laundering",[362],2318,[28],[15],"2023-05-31T10:04:29.000Z","2026-06-02T14:09:06.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-3",{"id":369,"slug":370,"title":371,"status":6,"nid":372,"year":373,"body":374,"external":19,"topic":375,"language":15,"type":377,"date_published":379,"image":380,"citation":235,"publisher":381,"link_internal":382,"link_external":383,"authors":390,"countries":407,"tags":412,"pdf":431,"topics":433,"featured":19,"languages":7,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":434,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":435,"main_points":436,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":437},2433,"addressing-conflicts-interest-and-corruption-indonesias-energy-transition","Addressing conflicts of interest and corruption in Indonesia’s energy transition",2936,2026,"This U4 Issue analyses Indonesia's ambitious energy transition and highlights how political finance, weak regulations and a \"revolving door\" of personnel between public office and the private sector create vulnerabilities. The publication was produced by U4 and the Basel Institute on Governance through its Green Corruption programme.\n\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2026-02\u002FAddressing-conflicts-of-interest-and-corruption-in-indonesia-s-energy-transition_U4-Issue.pdf\">Download publication here\u003C\u002Fa>.\n\n### About the paper\n\nConflicts of interest and corruption in Indonesia's political economy pose significant risks to its energy transition, including the Just Energy Transition Partnership. Existing legal and institutional frameworks are fragmented, inconsistently applied, and often fail to address the risk of state capture by powerful political and economic actors, especially in the extractive and energy sectors.\n\nThe reliance on fossil fuel industries for political financing and the monopolistic nature of state-owned entities further complicate the shift to a low- or no-carbon system, despite the country's ambitious renewable energy targets.\n\nPotential pathways to greater anti-corruption resilience lie in improvements to beneficial ownership transparency and strengthening regulation, monitoring and sanctioning of conflict of interest violations.\n",[376],"Green Corruption",[378],"Report","2026-02-24","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fd97f2ca5-300d-45c9-9de9-33152b72f96c?width=600&height=840","U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre",[],[384,387],{"url":385,"caption":386},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.u4.no\u002Fpublications\u002Faddressing-conflicts-of-interest-and-corruption-in-indonesia-s-energy-transition"," View on U4 website",{"url":388,"caption":389},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.u4.no\u002Fblog\u002Fimproving-anti-corruption-resilience-in-indonesia-s-energy-transition"," Read related U4 blog",[391,395,399,403],{"authors_id":392},{"id":393,"name":394},581,"Robert Forster",{"authors_id":396},{"id":397,"name":398},582,"Aled Williams",{"authors_id":400},{"id":401,"name":402},523,"Lakso Anindito",{"authors_id":404},{"id":405,"name":406},579,"Dr Amanda Cabrejo le Roux",[408],{"countries_id":409},{"id":410,"name":411},99,"Indonesia",[413,415,417,421,425,429],{"tags_id":414},{"id":99,"name":100},{"tags_id":416},{"id":359,"name":360},{"tags_id":418},{"id":419,"name":420},804,"Natural resources",{"tags_id":422},{"id":423,"name":424},1371,"Public governance",{"tags_id":426},{"id":427,"name":428},1236,"Compliance",{"tags_id":430},{"id":115,"name":116},[432],2489,[376],"2026-02-27T15:11:31.000Z","2026-05-23T20:08:18.000Z","- Corruption and conflicts of interest are embedded in the energy transition process due to the strong links between political power, private wealth (especially from extractive industries) and public office holders.\n- Existing anti-corruption regulations are often vague, fragmented across different legal instruments, and suffer from inconsistent enforcement, which creates loopholes susceptible to manipulation.\n- Progress in renewable energy uptake is slowed by the enduring influence and interests of fossil fuel incumbents who benefit from subsidies that keep coal an artificially cheap and viable energy source.\n- The Just Energy Transition Partnership is vulnerable to misallocations due to concentrated decision-making power, limited transparency in project selection and insufficient involvement of national anti-corruption bodies and civil society in its planning.\n- Improving transparency of beneficial ownership and strengthening the monitoring and sanctioning of conflict of interest violations are possible pathways to build greater anti-corruption resilience, though these institutional efforts alone are insufficient to fully address state capture dynamics.","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Faddressing-conflicts-interest-and-corruption-indonesias-energy-transition",{"id":439,"slug":440,"title":441,"status":6,"nid":442,"year":443,"body":444,"external":19,"topic":445,"language":15,"type":448,"date_published":450,"image":451,"citation":452,"publisher":183,"link_internal":453,"link_external":457,"authors":458,"countries":467,"tags":468,"pdf":479,"topics":482,"featured":19,"languages":7,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":484,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":485,"main_points":7,"short_version":486,"subtitle":7,"link":487},2425,"wp-60","Working Paper 60: Understanding the enemy: Insights from corrupt networks to improve anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives",2867,2025,"Corruption is not simply about individual misconduct. It is a networked phenomenon that arises from entrenched social, economic and political interactions. It is orchestrated through coordination between groups and clusters of individuals.\n\nThis Working Paper explores the networked nature of corruption and the opportunities this presents for anti-corruption efforts. The aim is to understand how shifting the unit of analysis from individuals to networks helps to understand the persistence and resilience of corruption, while opening up new anti-corruption perspectives.\n\nA meta-analysis of findings from more than 15 years of research on informal networks and corruption underpins the conceptualisation of corrupt networks. The paper argues that a focus on networks helps to shed light on the functionality of corruption – from petty bribery to large-scale public procurement fraud – and the underlying social norms that enable it.\n\nUnderstanding the structures, functions and modus operandi of the informal networks associated with corruption and applying the network logic to anti-corruption strategies can help to achieve better outcomes. The paper specifically looks at anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives, suggesting that these should emulate positive aspects of informal networks.\n\n### About this Working Paper\n\nThis paper is published as part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper series, ISSN: 2624-9650. You may share or republish it under a Creative Commons \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002Fdeed.en\">BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa> International Licence.\n\nThe contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Basel Institute on Governance, its donors and partners, or the University of Basel.\n\n",[213,446,447],"Prevention","Research and Innovation",[449],"Working Paper","2025-11-04","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F3fc6640b-79d3-481c-a74c-fc1979923c1b?width=600&height=840","Baez Camargo, Claudia, and Jacopo Costa. 2025. 'Understanding the enemy: Insights from corrupt networks to improve anticorruption Collective Action initiatives.'Working Paper 60, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-60\">baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-60\u003C\u002Fa>.",[454],{"url":455,"caption":456},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Working%20Paper"," View all Working Papers",[],[459,463],{"authors_id":460},{"id":461,"name":462},572,"Dr Claudia Baez Camargo",{"authors_id":464},{"id":465,"name":466},550,"Dr Jacopo Costa",[],[469,471,473,475],{"tags_id":470},{"id":212,"name":213},{"tags_id":472},{"id":99,"name":100},{"tags_id":474},{"id":67,"name":68},{"tags_id":476},{"id":477,"name":478},967,"Organised crime",[480,481],2480,2481,[213,483],"Prevention Research and Innovation","2025-11-04T17:05:36.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:56.000Z","This Working Paper reflects on the networked nature of corruption and the\nlessons that can be learned from studying it. Particularly, it provides insights into\nthe opportunities and challenges of designing and implementing anti-corruption\nCollective Action initiatives.\n\nThe authors consider corruption not as a series of isolated acts by individuals,\nbut as the outcome of complex, resilient informal networks embedded within\nsocio-political, economic and cultural structures. Within this framework, they\ninvestigate how shifting the unit of analysis from individuals to networks can\nimprove our understanding of the persistence of corruption and create new\nperspectives to promote better anti-corruption outcomes and impacts.\n\nDrawing on over 15 years of empirical research across diverse countries and\nregions, the authors argue that corruption must be viewed through a network\nlens. This approach reveals how informal connections facilitate rule subversion,\nproblem-solving and goal achievement where formal institutions are weak or\nineffective.\n\nThe paper contends that a focus on networks sheds light on the functionality\nof corruption and the underlying social norms enabling corrupt exchanges.\nUnderstanding the structures, functions and modus operandi of the informal\nnetworks associated with corruption can help design better anti-corruption\ninitiatives.\n\nThe Working Paper contributes to the existing literature on corruption strategies\nand anti-corruption activities.\n\n**First**, the authors explore how **informal networks rooted in trust, reciprocity\nand social norms can serve practical functions**, including accessing public\nservices, boosting business profitability and winning elections. The strength\nof informal networks lies in their adaptability, internal organisation and\nembeddedness in local cultures.\n\nThe authors identify **six core roles in informal networks** that pursue corrupt\nobjectives: seekers, doers, brokers, facilitators, intermediaries and instigators.\nThe coordination and division of tasks among these six roles make such informal\nnetworks effective in achieving their goals.\n\nIn addition, the authors unpack **the most important strategies these corrupt\ninformal networks rely on** for their functioning. These strategies are:\n\n- co-optation (recruitment and trust building);\n- control (discipline and compliance);\n- camouflage (concealment and legitimacy); and\n- coordination (task orchestration and adaptability).\n\n**Second**, the authors set out **concrete implications for anti-corruption\nactivities** based on insights on how informal networks operate. They state that\ntraditional top-down, normative approaches often fail due to the functionality\nof corruption (i.e., corruption is always a means to an end) and the social\nembeddedness of corrupt networks.\n\nThe authors propose to apply the network logic to anti-corruption strategies. This\npaper particularly focuses on **Collective Action initiatives** and suggests that\nthese should emulate positive aspects of informal networks. Collective Action\nrefers to collaborative efforts – typically involving businesses, civil society and\u002For\npublic institutions – to tackle corruption risks and shared integrity challenges that\nno single actor can resolve alone.\n\nThis means that, to be effective, these Collective Action initiatives must be\nbased on:\n\n- **Functional goals:** Set short-term, tangible goals aligned with participants’ interests.\n- **Strategic co-optation:** Recruit key stakeholders strategically, including those who are prone to corruption risks, by using trust-building mechanisms that can supply an added value to the stakeholders.\n- **Transparency and accountability:** Leverage mechanisms of peer pressure and reputation management that can ensure sustained commitment and engagement among participants and deter free-riding strategies.\n\nIn conclusion, to foster integrity in today’s fragmented and conflict-prone world,\nanti-corruption initiatives generally must shift from targeting individuals to\ntargeting the networks that sustain corruption. Sustainable change requires\nlocally rooted, trust-based collective efforts that provide functional, credible and\ncoordinated alternatives to illicit networks.\n\nIn this sense, Collective Action initiatives built on conceptualising corruption\nas a networked problem can be an effective solution for achieving\nanti-corruption goals","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-60",{"id":489,"slug":490,"title":491,"status":6,"nid":492,"year":443,"body":493,"external":19,"topic":494,"language":15,"type":495,"date_published":497,"image":498,"citation":235,"publisher":183,"link_internal":499,"link_external":506,"authors":507,"countries":516,"tags":517,"pdf":528,"topics":531,"featured":532,"languages":533,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":534,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":535,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":536},2389,"qg36","Quick Guide 36: Corruption and security",2756,"How does corruption threaten national and international security, both directly and indirectly? Can viewing it through the lens of power offer deeper insights? And what might we achieve by framing corruption as a security concern?\n\nThis quick guide gives a short introduction to this complex issue as part of a two-part series on corruption, security and strategic corruption.\n\n### About this Quick Guide\n\nYou are free to share and republish this work under a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Licence\u003C\u002Fa>. It is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Quick Guide series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications?type=2428\">ISSN 2673-5229\u003C\u002Fa>.",[446,447],[496],"Quick Guide","2025-02-09","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F7b63372a-9595-47eb-8bb8-88a3df6b9912?width=600&height=840",[500,503],{"url":501,"caption":502},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fqg37"," View related Quick Guide to strategic corruption",{"url":504,"caption":505},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Quick%20Guide"," View all Quick Guides",[],[508,512],{"authors_id":509},{"id":510,"name":511},559,"Dr Saba Kassa",{"authors_id":513},{"id":514,"name":515},296,"Monica Guy",[],[518,520,522,526],{"tags_id":519},{"id":99,"name":100},{"tags_id":521},{"id":477,"name":478},{"tags_id":523},{"id":524,"name":525},1376,"Defence and security",{"tags_id":527},{"id":115,"name":116},[529,530],2429,2430,[483],true,[15],"2025-02-10T11:05:56.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:51.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fqg36",{"id":538,"slug":539,"title":540,"status":6,"nid":541,"year":285,"body":542,"external":19,"topic":543,"language":15,"type":544,"date_published":545,"image":546,"citation":235,"publisher":183,"link_internal":547,"link_external":549,"authors":550,"countries":553,"tags":554,"pdf":561,"topics":563,"featured":19,"languages":564,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":565,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":566,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":567},2311,"research-case-4","Research case study 4: Deconstructing a criminal network involved in illegal wildlife trade between East Africa and Southeast Asia ",2518,"The illegal wildlife trade threatens biodiversity and security worldwide. Criminal networks pocket billions of dollars in illicit profits from stripping the world bare of endangered species and corrupting politicians and public officials in the process.\n\nYet there is very little empirical evidence on the role of both ordinary citizens and criminal networks in the illegal wildlife trade. Our research aims to fill this gap.\n\nWe used social network analysis and network ethnography techniques to study the criminal network of a wildlife trafficker based in East Africa. The insights can bolster law enforcement efforts aimed at identifying and dismantling wildlife trafficking networks.",[376,21],[289],"2023-10-11","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F19e03984-8caf-4871-8d80-b7226ea6403c?width=600&height=840",[548],{"url":295,"caption":296},[],[551],{"authors_id":552},{"id":194,"name":195},[],[555,559],{"tags_id":556},{"id":557,"name":558},1303,"Environment",{"tags_id":560},{"id":67,"name":68},[562],2347,[376,28],[15],"2023-10-11T16:04:41.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:41.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-4",{"id":569,"slug":570,"title":571,"status":6,"nid":572,"year":285,"body":573,"external":19,"topic":574,"language":15,"type":575,"date_published":576,"image":577,"citation":235,"publisher":183,"link_internal":578,"link_external":580,"authors":581,"countries":588,"tags":589,"pdf":594,"topics":596,"featured":19,"languages":597,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":598,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":599,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":600},2291,"wp-45","Working Paper 45: Strategic anti-corruption communications – Guidance for behaviour change interventions",2462,"This Working Paper is intended to guide practitioners who are seeking to complement conventional anti-corruption measures by adopting a behavioural communications approach.\n\nIt aims to connect a typology of anti-corruption messages with behavioural change theories, and discuss their impact.\n\nSubsequently, it suggests practical implications for designing anti-corruption communication as part of behaviour change interventions. This includes outlining how to develop a robust Theory of Change as a means to enhance the success of such efforts.  \n\nThe guidance is based on a review of seven key topically pertinent studies that have been recently published. \n\n### About this paper\n\nThis publication is prepared as guidance for the USAID Indonesia Integrity Initiative (USAID INTEGRITAS).\n\nThis study is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of the Basel Institute on Governance and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.\n\n### Open-access licence and citation\n\nThe publication is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper Series, ISSN: 2624-9650. You may share or republish the Working Paper under a Creative Commons \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">CC BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa> licence.\n\nSuggested citation: Baez-Camargo, Claudia, and Johanna Schönberg. 2023. ‘Strategic anti-corruption communications: a resource for practitioners.’ Working Paper 45, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-45\">https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-45\u003C\u002Fa>",[21],[449],"2023-06-13","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F9472f8db-b06d-4af5-94ef-68380ff513f7?width=600&height=840",[579],{"url":455,"caption":456},[],[582,584],{"authors_id":583},{"id":133,"name":134},{"authors_id":585},{"id":586,"name":587},524,"Johanna Schönberg",[],[590,592],{"tags_id":591},{"id":270,"name":271},{"tags_id":593},{"id":99,"name":100},[595],2328,[28],[15],"2023-06-19T09:56:33.000Z","2026-06-02T14:09:07.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-45",{"id":602,"slug":603,"title":604,"status":6,"nid":605,"year":285,"body":606,"external":19,"topic":607,"language":15,"type":608,"date_published":609,"image":610,"citation":235,"publisher":183,"link_internal":611,"link_external":612,"authors":613,"countries":620,"tags":625,"pdf":630,"topics":632,"featured":19,"languages":633,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":634,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":635,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":636},2278,"research-case-2","Research case study 2: Leveraging informal networks for anti-corruption in East Africa",2432,"Citizens and business people may invest significant time and money in building informal networks with public officials to overcome public service delivery shortcomings and access business opportunities. Understanding these networks better can strengthen anti-corruption efforts.\n\nThis research case study gives a brief overview of our Public Governance team's research in Uganda and Tanzania. Through interviews, the team explored when, how and why informal networks are built and used to access public services or business opportunities corruptly.\n\nThe research project described was carried out under the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence Programme (GI-ACE), funded with UK aid from the UK government. All results are freely shareable under a Creative Commons licence.",[21],[289],"2023-05-17","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F7d1b37bc-c9a9-458b-9b5c-5e140061e6dd?width=600&height=840",[],[],[614,616,618],{"authors_id":615},{"id":133,"name":134},{"authors_id":617},{"id":150,"name":151},{"authors_id":619},{"id":194,"name":195},[621,623],{"countries_id":622},{"id":205,"name":206},{"countries_id":624},{"id":201,"name":202},[626,628],{"tags_id":627},{"id":270,"name":271},{"tags_id":629},{"id":67,"name":68},[631],2314,[28],[15],"2023-05-17T10:04:49.000Z","2026-05-31T22:52:11.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-2",1780676570149]