[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":645},["ShallowReactive",2],{"publication-working-paper-26-ambivalence-social-networks-and-their-role-spurring-and-potential":3,"related-working-paper-26-ambivalence-social-networks-and-their-role-spurring-and-potential":234},[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":26,"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":43,"tags":113,"pdf":178,"authors":200},1927,"published",null,"2022-04-27T11:55:03.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:57.000Z",72,"working-paper-26-ambivalence-social-networks-and-their-role-spurring-and-potential","Working Paper 26: The ambivalence of social networks and their role in spurring and potential for curbing petty corruption: comparative insights from East Africa","This paper compares social network dynamics and related petty corrupt practices in East Africa. It highlights how the properties of structural and functional networks could serve as entry points for anti-corruption interventions.\n\nWith a focus on the health sector in Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, the empirical findings from this research corroborate the role of social networks in perpetuating collective practices of petty corruption, including bribery, favouritism and gift-giving.\n\nThe paper makes a case for designing a novel type of behavioural anti-corruption intervention, whereby the power of social networks is harnessed to elicit behavioural and attitudinal change for anti-corruption outcomes.\n\nThis paper is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper Series, \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fpublications?type[]=255\">ISSN: 2624-9650\u003C\u002Fa>.","Stahl, C., Kassa, S. (2018). 'The Ambivalence of Social Networks and their Role in Spurring and Potential for Curbing Petty Corruption'. Working Paper 26, Basel Institute on Governance","English",2018,"Basel Institute on Governance","2018-10-01",false,[21],"Public Governance",[23],{"url":24,"caption":25},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Working%20Paper"," View all Working Papers",[],[28],"Corruption Prevention and Public Governance",[15],[31],"Working Paper",{"id":33,"storage":34,"filename_disk":35,"filename_download":36,"title":37,"type":38,"created_on":8,"modified_on":8,"charset":7,"filesize":39,"width":40,"height":41,"duration":7,"embed":7,"description":7,"location":7,"tags":7,"metadata":42,"focal_point_x":7,"focal_point_y":7,"tus_id":7,"tus_data":7,"uploaded_on":8},"b2708379-4056-4abb-94f3-efdca5bf2e1c","local","b2708379-4056-4abb-94f3-efdca5bf2e1c.jpg","Pages-from-biog-working-paper-26.jpg","Working Paper 26","image\u002Fjpeg",138653,1701,2386,{},[44,75,94],{"id":45,"publications_id":46,"countries_id":69},844,{"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":52,"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":59,"pdf":64,"authors":66},"03bebfd8-0b40-4a2a-820d-b9d9c13b9de6","3d9ff205-1640-4f34-b5b6-86977f51bbd6",[21],[51],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],845,846,[60,61,62,63],3755,4982,4983,4984,[65],1976,[67,68],2102,2103,{"id":70,"name":71,"code":72,"latitude":73,"longitude":74},189,"Rwanda","RW",-1.94028,29.87389,{"id":57,"publications_id":76,"countries_id":88},{"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":77,"link_internal":78,"link_external":80,"featured":19,"topics":81,"languages":82,"type":83,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":84,"tags":85,"pdf":86,"authors":87},[21],[79],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],[60,61,62,63],[65],[67,68],{"id":89,"name":90,"code":91,"latitude":92,"longitude":93},224,"Tanzania","TZ",-6.36903,34.88882,{"id":58,"publications_id":95,"countries_id":107},{"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":96,"link_internal":97,"link_external":99,"featured":19,"topics":100,"languages":101,"type":102,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":103,"tags":104,"pdf":105,"authors":106},[21],[98],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],[60,61,62,63],[65],[67,68],{"id":108,"name":109,"code":110,"latitude":111,"longitude":112},226,"Uganda","UG",1.37333,32.29028,[114,130,146,162],{"id":60,"publications_id":115,"tags_id":127},{"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":116,"link_internal":117,"link_external":119,"featured":19,"topics":120,"languages":121,"type":122,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":123,"tags":124,"pdf":125,"authors":126},[21],[118],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],[60,61,62,63],[65],[67,68],{"id":128,"name":129},848,"Behavioural science",{"id":61,"publications_id":131,"tags_id":143},{"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":132,"link_internal":133,"link_external":135,"featured":19,"topics":136,"languages":137,"type":138,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":139,"tags":140,"pdf":141,"authors":142},[21],[134],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],[60,61,62,63],[65],[67,68],{"id":144,"name":145},1373,"Corruption prevention",{"id":62,"publications_id":147,"tags_id":159},{"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":148,"link_internal":149,"link_external":151,"featured":19,"topics":152,"languages":153,"type":154,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":155,"tags":156,"pdf":157,"authors":158},[21],[150],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],[60,61,62,63],[65],[67,68],{"id":160,"name":161},1309,"Informality",{"id":63,"publications_id":163,"tags_id":175},{"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":164,"link_internal":165,"link_external":167,"featured":19,"topics":168,"languages":169,"type":170,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":171,"tags":172,"pdf":173,"authors":174},[21],[166],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],[60,61,62,63],[65],[67,68],{"id":176,"name":177},982,"Anti-corruption",[179],{"id":65,"publications_id":180,"directus_files_id":192},{"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":181,"link_internal":182,"link_external":184,"featured":19,"topics":185,"languages":186,"type":187,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":188,"tags":189,"pdf":190,"authors":191},[21],[183],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],[60,61,62,63],[65],[67,68],{"id":193,"storage":34,"filename_disk":194,"filename_download":195,"title":195,"type":196,"folder":197,"uploaded_by":47,"created_on":8,"modified_by":7,"modified_on":8,"charset":7,"filesize":198,"width":7,"height":7,"duration":7,"embed":7,"description":199,"location":7,"tags":7,"metadata":7,"focal_point_x":7,"focal_point_y":7,"tus_id":7,"tus_data":7,"uploaded_on":8},"5aef4103-b0ea-4252-986a-0c5490172aad","5aef4103-b0ea-4252-986a-0c5490172aad.pdf","190613-WP26-3-ISSN-number.pdf","application\u002Fpdf","67f22e04-d26f-4baa-b91f-acc5f89d87f5",175377,"View PDF",[201,217],{"id":67,"publications_id":202,"authors_id":214},{"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":203,"link_internal":204,"link_external":206,"featured":19,"topics":207,"languages":208,"type":209,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":210,"tags":211,"pdf":212,"authors":213},[21],[205],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],[60,61,62,63],[65],[67,68],{"id":215,"name":216,"position":7,"image":7},354,"Cosimo Stahl",{"id":68,"publications_id":218,"authors_id":230},{"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":219,"link_internal":220,"link_external":222,"featured":19,"topics":223,"languages":224,"type":225,"area":7,"programme":7,"websites":7,"summary":7,"pdf_text":7,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"countries":226,"tags":227,"pdf":228,"authors":229},[21],[221],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[28],[15],[31],[45,57,58],[60,61,62,63],[65],[67,68],{"id":231,"name":232,"position":7,"image":233},303,"Saba Kassa","a34de431-6c31-4ddd-8727-12c10dfed9ad",[235,277,334,367,403,452,500,529,570,617],{"id":236,"slug":237,"title":238,"status":6,"nid":239,"year":240,"body":241,"external":19,"topic":242,"language":15,"type":243,"date_published":245,"image":246,"citation":247,"publisher":17,"link_internal":248,"link_external":252,"authors":253,"countries":260,"tags":263,"pdf":270,"topics":272,"featured":19,"languages":273,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":274,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":275,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":276},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],[244],"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.",[249],{"url":250,"caption":251},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Research%20Case%20Study"," View all research case studies",[],[254,258],{"authors_id":255},{"id":256,"name":257},295,"Claudia Baez Camargo",{"authors_id":259},{"id":231,"name":232},[261],{"countries_id":262},{"id":89,"name":90},[264,266,268],{"tags_id":265},{"id":128,"name":129},{"tags_id":267},{"id":160,"name":161},{"tags_id":269},{"id":176,"name":177},[271],2360,[28],[15],"2023-12-06T11:04:47.000Z","2026-06-02T14:08:43.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-5",{"id":278,"slug":279,"title":280,"status":6,"nid":281,"year":282,"body":283,"external":19,"topic":284,"language":15,"type":285,"date_published":287,"image":288,"citation":289,"publisher":290,"link_internal":291,"link_external":301,"authors":305,"countries":316,"tags":321,"pdf":328,"topics":329,"featured":19,"languages":330,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":331,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":332,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":333},2221,"informal-networks-investment-qualitative-analysis-uganda-and-tanzania","Informal networks as investment: A qualitative analysis from Uganda and Tanzania",2277,2022,"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],[286],"Article","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)",[292,295,298],{"url":293,"caption":294},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Finformal-networks-investment-east-africa"," View open access research report: Informal networks as investment in East Africa",{"url":296,"caption":297},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fcase-studies-tanzania-gi-ace-research-informal-networks-and-corruption"," View case studies from Tanzania",{"url":299,"caption":300},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fcase-studies-uganda-gi-ace-research-informal-networks-and-corruption"," View case studies from Uganda",[302],{"url":303,"caption":304},"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1111\u002Fgove.12726","View peer-reviewed article on Wiley Online Library",[306,308,312],{"authors_id":307},{"id":256,"name":257},{"authors_id":309},{"id":310,"name":311},304,"Jacopo Costa",{"authors_id":313},{"id":314,"name":315},359,"Lucy Koechlin",[317,319],{"countries_id":318},{"id":89,"name":90},{"countries_id":320},{"id":108,"name":109},[322,324,326],{"tags_id":323},{"id":176,"name":177},{"tags_id":325},{"id":128,"name":129},{"tags_id":327},{"id":160,"name":161},[],[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":335,"slug":336,"title":337,"status":6,"nid":338,"year":240,"body":339,"external":19,"topic":340,"language":15,"type":341,"date_published":342,"image":343,"citation":289,"publisher":17,"link_internal":344,"link_external":346,"authors":347,"countries":354,"tags":355,"pdf":360,"topics":362,"featured":19,"languages":363,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":364,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":365,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":366},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],[31],"2023-06-13","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F9472f8db-b06d-4af5-94ef-68380ff513f7?width=600&height=840",[345],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[348,350],{"authors_id":349},{"id":256,"name":257},{"authors_id":351},{"id":352,"name":353},524,"Johanna Schönberg",[],[356,358],{"tags_id":357},{"id":128,"name":129},{"tags_id":359},{"id":176,"name":177},[361],2328,[28],[15],"2023-06-19T09:56:33.000Z","2026-06-02T14:09:07.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-45",{"id":368,"slug":369,"title":370,"status":6,"nid":371,"year":240,"body":372,"external":19,"topic":373,"language":15,"type":374,"date_published":375,"image":376,"citation":289,"publisher":17,"link_internal":377,"link_external":378,"authors":379,"countries":386,"tags":391,"pdf":396,"topics":398,"featured":19,"languages":399,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":400,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":401,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":402},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],[244],"2023-05-17","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F7d1b37bc-c9a9-458b-9b5c-5e140061e6dd?width=600&height=840",[],[],[380,382,384],{"authors_id":381},{"id":256,"name":257},{"authors_id":383},{"id":231,"name":232},{"authors_id":385},{"id":310,"name":311},[387,389],{"countries_id":388},{"id":108,"name":109},{"countries_id":390},{"id":89,"name":90},[392,394],{"tags_id":393},{"id":128,"name":129},{"tags_id":395},{"id":160,"name":161},[397],2314,[28],[15],"2023-05-17T10:04:49.000Z","2026-05-31T22:52:11.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-2",{"id":404,"slug":405,"title":406,"status":6,"nid":407,"year":282,"body":408,"external":19,"topic":409,"language":15,"type":410,"date_published":412,"image":413,"citation":414,"publisher":17,"link_internal":415,"link_external":419,"authors":420,"countries":427,"tags":432,"pdf":445,"topics":447,"featured":19,"languages":448,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":449,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":450,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":451},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,"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],[411],"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.",[416],{"url":417,"caption":418},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Policy%20Brief"," View all Policy Briefs",[],[421,423,425],{"authors_id":422},{"id":256,"name":257},{"authors_id":424},{"id":310,"name":311},{"authors_id":426},{"id":231,"name":232},[428,430],{"countries_id":429},{"id":89,"name":90},{"countries_id":431},{"id":108,"name":109},[433,435,439,443],{"tags_id":434},{"id":176,"name":177},{"tags_id":436},{"id":437,"name":438},909,"Collective Action",{"tags_id":440},{"id":441,"name":442},973,"Corruption",{"tags_id":444},{"id":160,"name":161},[446],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":453,"slug":454,"title":455,"status":6,"nid":456,"year":240,"body":457,"external":19,"topic":458,"language":15,"type":459,"date_published":460,"image":461,"citation":289,"publisher":17,"link_internal":462,"link_external":467,"authors":468,"countries":471,"tags":480,"pdf":493,"topics":495,"featured":19,"languages":496,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":497,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":498,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":499},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],[244],"2023-05-31","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fca5d66b9-58f2-42fd-afa6-1d3224f01f9d?width=600&height=840",[463,466],{"url":464,"caption":465},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fworking-paper-36-revealing-networks-behind-corruption-and-money-laundering-schemes"," View related Working Paper",{"url":250,"caption":251},[],[469],{"authors_id":470},{"id":310,"name":311},[472,476],{"countries_id":473},{"id":474,"name":475},171,"Peru",{"countries_id":477},{"id":478,"name":479},29,"Brazil",[481,485,487,489],{"tags_id":482},{"id":483,"name":484},879,"Money laundering",{"tags_id":486},{"id":160,"name":161},{"tags_id":488},{"id":144,"name":145},{"tags_id":490},{"id":491,"name":492},818,"Anti-money laundering",[494],2318,[28],[15],"2023-05-31T10:04:29.000Z","2026-06-02T14:09:06.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-3",{"id":501,"slug":502,"title":503,"status":6,"nid":504,"year":282,"body":505,"external":19,"topic":506,"language":15,"type":507,"date_published":509,"image":510,"citation":289,"publisher":17,"link_internal":511,"link_external":512,"authors":513,"countries":516,"tags":517,"pdf":522,"topics":524,"featured":19,"languages":525,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":526,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":527,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":528},2234,"behavioural-insights-and-anti-corruption","Behavioural insights and anti-corruption: Executive summary of a practitioner-tailored review of the latest evidence (2016–2022)",2267,"Donors, governments and anti-corruption practitioners seeking alternative tools to address systemic corruption are increasingly turning to behavioural science. Behavioural anti-corruption approaches appear promising because they respond to a growing body of descriptive evidence on how certain social norms and mental models drive corruption, particularly in fragile contexts. Interventions that target social norms and seek to shift people’s behaviours away from corrupt practices could be more effective and long-lasting than ones that, for example, simply add more regulations and controls.\n\nYet few large-scale anti-corruption programmes have so far been informed by behavioural insights – in part due to a lack of evidence on where such an approach would be appropriate, what works and what doesn’t. \n\nThat evidence is slowly becoming available, thanks to an increase in the past five years in what can be called Social Norms and Behaviour Change (SNBC) intervention studies. Many have yielded positive effects and demonstrate the potential of SNBC interventions to tackle systemic corruption, but some studies have encountered counterproductive effects of anti-corruption messaging. \n\nBased on a synthesis of the evidence, this brief paper summarises a set of behavioural explanations (i.e. insights and pitfalls) for why some of these SNBC approaches have failed, while others have been effective. The aim is to provide practitioners designing SNBC interventions with evidence to help them develop effective programmes and avoid common pitfalls.\n\nThe full research paper and analysis tables are available to practitioners upon request. Please email \u003Ca href=\"mailto:info@baselgovernance.org\">info@baselgovernance.org\u003C\u002Fa>.\n\n### Acknowledgements and open-access licence\n\nThe publication is a technical report published by the Basel Institute on Governance. It is free to share under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">CC BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa>) licence.\n\nThis is a short version of a substantial in-depth review of the latest evidence (2016-21) on how SNBC approaches can inform anti-corruption practice. The publication was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The contents of this publication do not represent the official position of either BMZ or GIZ.",[21],[508],"Report","2022-10-10","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fbebee1ea-a781-4771-8ec0-b9e473e302c8?width=600&height=840",[],[],[514],{"authors_id":515},{"id":215,"name":216},[],[518,520],{"tags_id":519},{"id":176,"name":177},{"tags_id":521},{"id":128,"name":129},[523],2276,[28],[15],"2022-10-10T16:04:11.000Z","2026-05-31T22:52:08.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fbehavioural-insights-and-anti-corruption",{"id":530,"slug":531,"title":532,"status":6,"nid":533,"year":282,"body":534,"external":19,"topic":535,"language":15,"type":536,"date_published":538,"image":539,"citation":289,"publisher":17,"link_internal":540,"link_external":544,"authors":548,"countries":557,"tags":558,"pdf":563,"topics":565,"featured":19,"languages":566,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":567,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":568,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":569},1761,"quick-guide-23-informal-networks-and-anti-corruption","Quick Guide 23: Informal networks and anti-corruption",2183,"Why do many countries still struggle with high levels of corruption, in spite of years of investment in anti-corruption programmes and even where the right laws, rules and institutions are in place?\n\nWe believe one reason is that anti-corruption laws and policies are too often focused narrowly on individuals, rather than *networks* of individuals.\n\nIn our research, we see repeatedly how high levels of corruption are rarely the result of individual behaviour – some isolated rotten apples transgressing the formal legal order and leading others astray. Rather, corruption more frequently springs from the social norms and group dynamics of well-articulated and resilient informal networks.\n\nAnd it’s those networks that have much to lose from integrity and ethics. Their behaviour as a group entrenches corruption, and they block attempts at reforms. This quick guide takes a look at what this means and the implications for anti-corruption programming.\n\n### About this Quick Guide\n\nThis work is licensed under a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License\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>.",[21],[537],"Quick Guide","2022-02-15","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F80db1c22-07e0-4e16-9a68-312b1d223e82?width=600&height=840",[541],{"url":542,"caption":543},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Quick%20Guide"," View all Quick Guides",[545],{"url":546,"caption":547},"https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002Fcourse\u002Fview.php?id=118"," View on Basel LEARN",[549,551,553,555],{"authors_id":550},{"id":310,"name":311},{"authors_id":552},{"id":256,"name":257},{"authors_id":554},{"id":231,"name":232},{"authors_id":556},{"id":215,"name":216},[],[559,561],{"tags_id":560},{"id":160,"name":161},{"tags_id":562},{"id":128,"name":129},[564],1787,[28],[15],"2022-04-27T11:53:18.000Z","2026-06-02T14:09:05.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fquick-guide-23-informal-networks-and-anti-corruption",{"id":571,"slug":572,"title":573,"status":6,"nid":574,"year":575,"body":576,"external":19,"topic":577,"language":15,"type":580,"date_published":581,"image":582,"citation":583,"publisher":17,"link_internal":584,"link_external":586,"authors":587,"countries":596,"tags":597,"pdf":608,"topics":611,"featured":19,"languages":7,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":613,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":614,"main_points":7,"short_version":615,"subtitle":7,"link":616},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",[438,578,579],"Prevention","Research and Innovation",[31],"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>.",[585],{"url":24,"caption":25},[],[588,592],{"authors_id":589},{"id":590,"name":591},572,"Dr Claudia Baez Camargo",{"authors_id":593},{"id":594,"name":595},550,"Dr Jacopo Costa",[],[598,600,602,604],{"tags_id":599},{"id":437,"name":438},{"tags_id":601},{"id":176,"name":177},{"tags_id":603},{"id":160,"name":161},{"tags_id":605},{"id":606,"name":607},967,"Organised crime",[609,610],2480,2481,[438,612],"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":618,"slug":619,"title":620,"status":6,"nid":621,"year":282,"body":622,"external":19,"topic":623,"language":15,"type":624,"date_published":625,"image":626,"citation":289,"publisher":17,"link_internal":627,"link_external":628,"authors":629,"countries":632,"tags":635,"pdf":638,"topics":640,"featured":19,"languages":641,"summary":7,"programme":7,"area":7,"websites":7,"pdf_text":7,"sort":7,"user_created":47,"date_created":642,"user_updated":48,"date_updated":643,"main_points":7,"short_version":7,"subtitle":7,"link":644},2217,"wp-40","Working Paper 40: Developing anti-corruption interventions addressing social norms: Lessons from a field pilot in Tanzania",2249,"This Working Paper provides guidance on developing anti-corruption interventions based on a Social Norms and Behaviour Change (SNBC) approach. Still a relatively nascent field, SNBC interventions typically address social norms that make corruption acceptable or expected, and attempt to influence behaviours away from corrupt practices. \n\nThe guidance is based on lessons learned from a largely successful pilot project in Tanzania that targeted social norms fuelling bribery (\"gift giving\") in health facilities and attempted to change the behaviours of both health care providers and users away from exchanging gifts. Survey results showed a 14–44% decrease in gift-giving intentions, attitudes and positive beliefs among hospital users following the pilot intervention.\n\nThe guidance covers:\n\n\n- How to identify when a SNBC approach is suitable\n- Essential background research needed to design anti-corruption SNBC interventions\n- Frameworks to formulate theories of change\n- Specific elements to build into SNBC interventions\n- What practitioners should expect when embarking on an SNBC intervention\n- Ways they can help build evidence and understanding of SNBC approaches in the anti-corruption field.\n\n\n### About and acknowledgements\n\nThis publication was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The contents of this publication do not represent the official position of either BMZ or GIZ.\n\nThe pilot intervention that serves as the basis for most of the reflections included in this document was funded by the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence Programme (GI-ACE), funded with UK aid from the UK 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. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).\n\nSuggested citation: Baez Camargo, Claudia. 2022. “Developing anti-corruption interventions addressing social norms: Lessons from a field pilot in Tanzania.” *Working Paper *40, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-40\">https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-40\u003C\u002Fa>",[21],[31],"2022-07-27","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Ff47a13f2-602b-40cd-878e-7c73305990a7?width=600&height=840",[],[],[630],{"authors_id":631},{"id":256,"name":257},[633],{"countries_id":634},{"id":89,"name":90},[636],{"tags_id":637},{"id":128,"name":129},[639],2256,[28],[15],"2022-08-14T19:40:44.000Z","2026-05-31T22:52:05.000Z","\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-40",1780676570646]