A framework for evaluating anti-corruption policies and programs

This chapter provides a framework for the evaluation of anti-corruption programs. The impact of corruption on public service delivery performance and poverty alleviation is widely recognized. A wide consensus has also recently emerged that corruption is a symptom of failed governance and hence curtailing corruption requires addressing the causes of bad governance. Nevertheless, the menu of potential actions to curtail corruption is very large, so a framework is needed that guides ordering potential actions. Prioritization of various actions depends on both the conceptual and empirical views of what works and what does not work in the context of a specific situation. Such a framework is also needed for evaluating country anti-corruption programs and policies. The chapter concludes that path dependency is critical in determining the relative efficacy of various anti-corruption programs.