After developing one of the most advanced transparency frameworks among Mexican states, Coahuila now has an historic opportunity to move beyond transparency to set up a comprehensive and coherent integrity system. In July 2017, the Mexican state of Coahuila adopted a reform to create an Anti-corruption System, modelled on Mexico’s National Anti-corruption System. The System will be crucial for providing a sustainable response to local risks of corruption and for driving the state’s sustained economic growth towards inclusiveness and social cohesion.

The northern Mexican state of Coahuila de Zaragoza is in the process of aligning its legislative framework with the national reforms that established the National Anti-corruption System (NACS). In particular, the constitutional reform establishing the NACS requires federal states to establish their own anti-corruption systems in accordance with the model defined for the federal level in July 2016. This process is not only a unique opportunity for Coahuila to upgrade its integrity system, but also to incorporate good international practices and respond to declining trust in government. This Review provides analysis and proposals to support Coahuila in seizing such an opportunity, based on the OECD Recommendation on Public Integrity as well as best practices.

This chapter examines the institutional arrangements for integrity in Coahuila and assesses whether they enable the functioning of a coherent and comprehensive integrity system in line with the principles of the OECD Recommendation on Public Integrity. First, it analyses the implications of the National Anti-corruption System and the reforms needed for the Local Anti-corruption System of Coahuila to embrace a whole-of-government approach and ensure effective vertical and horizontal mechanisms. Second, this chapter discusses the impact of politicians’ and managers’ commitment to enhancing public integrity and minimising corruption risks, and describes why their role is fundamental in ensuring effective implementation. Lastly, this chapter addresses the added value of building an inclusive public sector integrity system where civil society plays a central role and which involves different stakeholders from the whole-of-society.

This chapter discusses ways to strengthen public ethics and the identification and management of conflict-of-interest situations in Coahuila through improvements in the institutional design, guidance, and control. First, the chapter discusses the legal and policy framework for public ethics and conflict-of-interest management. Second, it analyses potential reforms that would harmonise policies and practices, streamline public ethics in the whole-of-government, and raise awareness among public servants. Third, it assesses the effectiveness of the asset disclosure system of Coahuila in its attempts to prevent corruption. Finally, it provides guidance on evaluation and monitoring mechanisms.

There is a general consensus among policymakers that effective whistleblower protection is needed to promote integrity, encourage transparency, and detect misconduct. To this end, many countries have introduced a dedicated whistleblower protection law. This chapter provides a review and analysis of Coahuila’s whistleblower protection system. It addresses the need for Coahuila to enact a dedicated whistleblower protection law and make additional efforts to build trust in the protection system, enhance awareness, and systematically review and evaluate its whistleblowing system.

This chapter discusses how Coahuila could strengthen its internal control and risk management framework to better safeguard integrity in public sector organisations and enable effective accountability. It highlights the value of ensuring a strategic approach to risk management, which Coahuila could cultivate by encouraging implementation of the existing framework through guidance, training, and capacity building. The chapter also focuses on the role of the internal audit function in providing reasonable assurance over risk management and internal control processes, stressing the need to gradually appoint internal control units in all ministries and to scale up professionalism and capacities to fulfil the investigative attributions that the Ministry for Audit and Accountability (SEFIR) will undertake within the Local Anti-corruption System with respect to non-serious offences of public officials.

The present chapter considers Coahuila’s transparency framework as well as mechanisms to engage stakeholders in developing and implementing public policies, and assesses the extent to which they promote integrity, accountability, and the public interest. On the one hand, this chapter acknowledges recent efforts which led to the establishment of a solid institutional and legal framework, but also underlines that the data and information created by public entities in Coahuila could lead to greater accountability through visualisation tools and the use of a single portal. On the other hand, this chapter analyses the extent to which existing mechanisms for stakeholder participation are used in practice, and proposes additional measures Coahuila could take to improve constructive dialogue and monitor public entities’ commitments to transparency.

In line with the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Procurement, the present chapter assesses whether Coahuila has developed and implemented effective general standards for public procurement procedures and procurement-specific risk management tools in order to preserve integrity in this activity. Specifically, the chapter looks at newly-developed initiatives such as the Code of Conduct and the Conflict-of-Interest Manifest for suppliers. It then describes the actions undertaken so far to promote a culture of integrity among public procurement officials, potential suppliers, and civil society. It also evaluates how external stakeholders are involved in the public procurement system with a view to increase its transparency and integrity. Lastly, the chapter analyses levels of transparency of public procurement processes and the application of e-procurement solutions.

This chapter presents a plan of actions for an adequate implementation of the OECD recommendations in the areas covered by this report, namely institutional set-up, culture of integrity, whistleblower protection, internal control and risk management, transparency, and integrity in public procurement. It provides a chart for the state administration 2017-23 to define the timeline and the units responsible for implementing the plan.