REFERENCE GROUP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AFRICAN CORRUPTION MEASUREMENT
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. Introduction
The African Union Advisory Board on Corruption established as a follow-up mechanism for the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) is mandated to develop methodologies for analyzing the nature and extent of corruption in Africa. In fulfilling this mandate, the Board has been working on assessing the viability of developing an African Corruption Measurement in response to calls by the African Union Member States to develop corruption assessment methodologies and tools that take into consideration the context of Africa and its challenges. The call was further echoed through the 4th African Governance Report (2016) by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on “Measuring Corruption in Africa: The International Dimension Matters” which identified that most corruption indicators are very limited in providing policy options whose implementation would help to fight corruption and called for more research on development of corruption methodologies that address such shortfalls.
The Board is commissioning a study to research, review and consolidate a possible corruption measurement methodology and tool that is fact based, objective and takes into consideration the reality of governance in Africa. The study will develop a rigorous methodology that will facilitate the development of corruption measurement, identification of corruption indicator(s) that measure the magnitude and extent of corruption in Africa taking into consideration institutional and policy dimensions.
2. Purpose of the Reference Group
Developing the African corruption measurement tool will require inputs from different disciplines, spheres and professional domains. In order to facilitate the pooling of experts who can contribute to the development of this tool, the Board shall establish a Reference Group (RG) that will, under the convening of the Board, support the process through the provision of feedback and technical advice along the process. The Reference Group shall also serve as a readily available pool of experts with knowledge and expertise on various aspects of governance and anti-corruption from which the Board can draw on to cross reference specific issues regarding the corruption measurement.
3. Roles and Responsibilities
The main role of the Reference Group will be to provide advice, guidance and feedback in the development of the technical content of the corruption measurement tools. The Reference Group will support by providing technical advice to ensure that the Methodology and tools developed for measuring corruption takes into account the different perspectives of corruption and its various forms of manifestation from both demand and supply side of corruption in Africa. The Reference Group will further crosscheck the alignment of the measurement methodology and tool to the widely accepted strategies of fighting corruption adopted by state parties to the AUCPCC.
The following are a list of activities the RG would contribute to in an advisory capacity:
Provide advice, guidance and feedback in the development of the technical content of corruption measurement;
Provide comments on the development of the corruption measurement tools;
Provide comments on the implications of the methodology and the tools at country level especially users and uses of results;
Alert the Board to new research, thinking and evidence that could inform the development of the methodology; and
Provide technical expertise from their fields of expertise and interest contributing to the development of the corruption methodology and tool.
4. Composition of the Reference Group
The membership of the Reference Group will be on the basis of technical expertise and will as much as possible be representative of the various disciplines, regions, gender and demographics relevant to the fight against corruption. A broad-based membership is necessary given that the development of the corruption measurement and methodology will require the engagement of different disciplines, spheres and professional domains.
5. Tenure
The Reference Group will work until the African Corruption Measurement tool is adopted by the policy organs of the African Union. It is estimated that the process shall take up to 24 months.
6. Interface between Board Working Group and the Reference Group
The Reference Group is not replacing the Board’s Working Group on Corruption Methodology rather it will act as advisory and collaborative role. The Reference Group will be complementary and will be convened by the Chair of the Board’s Working Group on Corruption.
7. Working Modalities
The AUABC Secretariat will convene the Reference Group in form of meetings (physical and virtual) whenever needed. The AUABC Secretariat will provide interpretation and translation support for the meetings of the Reference Group. Further, the Secretariat will forward to all participants the times, dates, agenda of items to be discussed at the meetings and allow for adequate preparation for the meetings and prepare record of proceedings.
