Preventing Corruption in Resource Allocation. Land Reform, Forest Management, Agriculture Irrigation

Author: GTZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit

Summary

The Practical Guide Preventing Corruption in Resource Allocation – Land Reform, Forest Management, Agricultural Irrigation – is designed for staff of German Development Cooperation institutions involved in projects and programmes for natural resource management. This includes responsible officers both at BMZ and in the implementing organisations. It is also designed to place anti-corruption expertise at the disposal of consultants, seconded advisors and other development actors.

The theme of the present guide was chosen because, in our experience, land reform and the upgrading of land resources through irrigation or forestry generate or reinforce economic interests and desires that can have a corrupting effect on political decisionmaking processes at the legislation or implementation levels. The misallocations that ensue usually occur as a result of powerful interest groups exerting influence over the administrations responsible for allocation at the national, regional and local levels.

Corruption may already play a role in the selection of regions, municipalities or target groups. Corruption and the resulting misallocations undermine considerably the development, allocation and utilisation of resources provided for in the planning of Development Cooperation projects and programmes, and especially the desired poverty reduction outcomes. Therefore, it is in the fundamental interests of Development Cooperation to prevent corruption in those areas of promotion relevant to resource allocation.

The guide deals primarily with aspects of resource allocation and allocation monitoring. The key question to be addressed is, how can management instruments and allocation designs be applied systemically so as to counteract the strong incentives to corruption. The guide does not deal with multisectoral issues of how to deal with corruption internally in the immediate project setting.

Go to the GTZ website

Link: Download the document