Reducing Corruption at the Local Level

Corruption ranks together with effective democratic representation as the most important problems facing local governments. The objective of this article is to provide both conceptual and practical frameworks, as well as an international perspective with concrete examples, to address the contexts that create perverse incentives for corruption and to provide practical solutions. The case study will serve to underscore and guide local reformers and citizen groups who are intent on changing corrupt systems by introducing practical strategies to combat corruption and reform local institutions. Practical tools and approaches are presented to be used during the case study are including how to involve people in policymaking; different diagnostic tools to identify priorities of reform; informatics to track public revenue and expenditure; simplified rules to improve the procurement process; diagnostics; and participatory techniques for developing and monitoring local budgets.