Corruption hurts all of us. It leads to the wrong policies, wastes public resources and undermines confidence in governments’ ability to serve the public interest. Many trust indicators show the complexity of this problem. For instance, the recent Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that only 30 per cent of respondents agree that government serves the interests of everyone. Such findings speak to the related problems of corruption and highlight a key governance failure that requires proactive and decisive leadership from governments.

Corruption is one of the most corrosive issues of our time. It wastes public resources, widens economic and social inequalities, breeds discontent and political polarisation and reduces trust in institutions. Traditional approaches based on the creation of more rules, stricter compliance and tougher enforcement have been of limited effectiveness. A strategic and sustainable response to corruption must be public integrity.

Integrity is one of the pillars of political, economic and social structures, and is a cornerstone of good governance. Yet, no country is immune to violations of integrity. Across all levels and branches of government, unethical interactions between public and private actors can violate integrity at all stages of the policy process. Addressing this challenge requires a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of commitment contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It describes how the highest political and managerial levels can demonstrate commitment to public integrity systems. It focuses on commitments to define, support, control and enforce a public integrity system, and includes an analysis of the legislative and institutional arrangements necessary for enabling public integrity. In addition, the chapter addresses the two commonly faced challenges of sustaining political will and monitoring commitments to public integrity.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of responsibilities contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It describes how to establish clear responsibilities at all relevant levels for designing, leading and implementing the elements of the integrity system, with appropriate capacities and resources. It includes an analysis of the types of mechanisms that can ensure horizontal and vertical co‑operation within an integrity system. In addition, the chapter addresses the two commonly faced challenges of entrenched silos and competition among entities that have been assigned integrity functions.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of strategy contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It describes how to develop a strategic approach to public integrity that is evidence-based and aimed at mitigating public integrity risks. It focuses on a risk-based approach to setting strategic objectives and priorities for the public integrity system; developing benchmarks and indicators; and collecting relevant data on the system’s implementation, performance and effectiveness. In addition, it addresses the challenge of balancing rules-based and values-based approaches to integrity strategies.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of standards contained in the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It describes how governments can set clearly defined high standards of conduct that prioritise the public interest and adherence to public sector values, and include them in legal and regulatory frameworks and strategies. It provides examples of clear and proportionate procedures to prevent violations of public integrity standards, and introduces internal and external communications mechanisms to disseminate these values and standards. In addition, the chapter addresses the three commonly faced challenges of making standards memorable and actionable, ensuring implementation, and setting clear and proportionate procedures to prevent conflicts of interest.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of whole-of-society contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity, describing how governments can partner with the private sector, civil society and individuals to help promote a culture of integrity. Particular attention is paid to how governments can support companies in implementing responsible business conduct and anti-bribery practices to uphold public integrity. Strategies are presented for ensuring that the legal environment enables civil society organisations to apply integrity practices in their organisations. The roles of awareness-raising campaigns and civic education programmes are also explored, emphasising how individuals are critical actors in supporting public integrity. In addition, the chapter addresses the challenge posed by the entrenched social norms that undermine public integrity, and provides guidance to governments on how to address these issues when engaging the whole-of-society.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of leadership contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It describes how investing in integrity leadership can demonstrate a public sector organisation’s commitment to public integrity, and focuses on integrity leadership as a trait and style that can be developed early in future leaders. It also details the mechanisms for attracting and selecting integrity leaders. Moreover, the chapter reflects upon the incentives and accountability frameworks that can be drawn upon to reward integrity leadership. The chapter also addresses the challenge facing bureaucratic structures in supporting integrity leadership, focusing on the need for flexibility to reward and sanction ethical leadership and to ensure human resource management structures are fit-for-purpose in recruiting and promoting ethical leaders.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of a merit-based system contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It describes how a merit-based and professional public sector dedicated to public service values contributes to public integrity. It focuses on setting predetermined, appropriate qualification and performance criteria for all positions, along with objective and transparent personnel management processes. Moreover, it demonstrates how open application processes that give equal access to all potentially qualified candidates, and oversight and recourse mechanisms that ensure consistent and fair application, contribute to the broader public integrity system. The chapter also addresses the four commonly faced challenges related to merit-based systems: timely decision making; recruiting new skills and competencies; ensuring representation and inclusiveness; and addressing the fragmentation of public employment.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of capacity building contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It clarifies how core activities – such as providing timely and relevant information on integrity policies and standards, as well as carrying out regular, tailored integrity training – can build commitment to public integrity. It identifies the core components for effective integrity advisory functions, and discusses how these guidance and consultation mechanisms can support public officials in understanding and applying integrity standards in their daily activities. The chapter addresses commonly faced challenges, including using innovative and interactive training formats, dedicating time and resources to capacity building and guidance, and ensuring effective co-ordination of agencies responsible for training. It also discusses the challenges associated with integrity advisors, including the risk that other actors may relinquish their integrity responsibilities, or misuse the advice and guidance of advisors.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of openness contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It describes how open organisational cultures support a safe environment where employees can discuss ethical dilemmas, potential conflict-of-interest situations and integrity concerns. It identifies key levers to promote openness, including employee engagement and identification with integrity values, and responsive, credible and trustworthy management. The chapter also looks at the core elements of an effective whistleblower protection system, with a particular focus on ensuring that clear rules, procedures and channels are in place to report suspected integrity violations. In addition, the chapter discusses how hierarchical and formal civil service cultures can undermine openness, and looks at how capacity building and dedicated resources are critical to ensuring openness. It also looks at challenges related to the cultural perception of whistleblowers, and confidential and anonymous reporting mechanisms.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of risk management contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. From both the government-wide and institutional perspectives, the chapter explores how public sector organisations can tailor policies and practices to effectively manage integrity risks, conduct risk assessments and sustain a control environment that safeguards public integrity. It also emphasises the need for coherent procedures to respond to potential fraud or corruption, including protocols for reporting, follow-up and investigations. The chapter also considers the critical role of internal audit functions in relation to managers in government, focusing on their added value of providing independent, objective assurance for effective internal control and integrity risk management. The chapter highlights key challenges and leading practices, such as articulating value-driven internal control policies, conducting periodic risk assessments that link to objectives, and creating feedback loops to monitor and evaluate activities.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of enforcement contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It describes how enforcement mechanisms foster effective accountability, deter misconduct, and ensure compliance with public integrity standards. Supported by co-operation and exchange of information mechanisms at all levels, fairness, objectivity and timeliness are identified as key drivers for effective and transparent enforcement. In addition, the chapter addresses five commonly faced challenges related to enforcement: independence; lengthiness of procedures; complexity of procedures; fragmented collection of enforcement data; and publicity of enforcement data.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of oversight contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. It describes how external oversight and control strengthens accountability within the public integrity system. It focuses on fostering responses by public sector organisations to oversight bodies’ advice, and mechanisms to strengthen oversight bodies’ responsiveness to complaints and allegations. It also explores the role of oversight bodies in ensuring impartial enforcement of laws and regulations. The chapter addresses the two commonly faced challenges of timeliness of decisions to avoid creating a sense of impunity and ensure access to procedural remedies, and enforcement burden and effectiveness.

This chapter provides a commentary on the principle of participation contained within the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity. Through insights on promoting transparency and open government, it offers guidance on fostering individuals’ right to know and engaging stakeholders throughout the policy-making process. The chapter also looks at key components to avert policy capture, including managing conflict-of-interest situations and promoting transparency in lobbying and the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns. It explores an additional factor to foster participation and accountability, namely setting the standards and practical conditions for a society that includes “watchdog” organisations. Finally the chapter discusses several challenges to participation, including how to develop meaningful stakeholder engagement measures and implement effective revolving door regulations.