July 30, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
There’s a lot of confusion among international aid workers about what constitutes corruption, according to a new study cited by Ruth Gidley on ReutersAlertnet.
The study by Transparency International, Tufts University, and the Overseas Development Institute, found that foreign employees with seven large aid groups saw corruption primarily as stealing money, not abusing power.
Many staff members surveyed didn’t consider demanding sexual favors or getting a friend a job corruption. Some, in fact, saw nepotism as a positive thing — ensuring that family members and friends they brought to the job would be honest.
The study also found that many charities abandon strict accounting practices in times of crises. One nonprofit group reported that it lost track of 39 of its 50 satellite phones in the midst of an emergency.
Many large charities fail to end a relationship with a grass-Croots organization after corruption is uncovered because of the difficulty of finding another group to carry out the work, the study says.
“Many aid workers argue that the imperative to save lives is more important than keeping an eye on every penny, but others, including the report’s authors, argue that avoiding corruption should be embedded in relief projects from the start,” writes Ms. Gidley.
What do you think? How widespread is corruption in overseas aid work? What more can be done to prevent graft?
