Promoting Corruption Risk Management Methodology in Romania

Annex C. Raising awareness on corruption risk management in Romania

Context

Implementing proactive risk management tools is crucial in preventing corruption and maintaining integrity in public institutions. Public officials play a key role in ensuring that these tools are fully utilised. An effective communications strategy can both raise awareness and aid in the co-ordination and implementation of risk management strategies amongst public officials.

Through Decision 599/2018, the government of Romania has begun the implementation of a corruption risk management methodology, requiring all central public institutions to create anti-corruption strategies for their organisations. Since the passing of Decision 599/2018, the adoption of the corruption risk management methodology has been uneven across institutions. Approaching the challenges to the adoption of Decision 599/2018 from a behavioural perspective has the potential to improve the overall use of the risk management methodology.

Strategy

Objectives

Public officials play a key role in managing government risk. Ensuring that they have the capabilities and motivation to identify and manage corruption risk can be done through internal awareness raising campaigns.

Shaping an effective awareness raising campaign on strategies for public officials to manage corruption risk requires a look at the current behaviours of officials. Evidence suggests that reminders of ethical behaviour can lead to moral reflection. Such reminders can aid in a more effective implementation of a corruption risk management strategy (OECD, 2018[32]). Assessing the implementation of Decision 599/2018 using behavioural insights can help to create more targeted awareness raising initiatives that have the potential to improve both the capabilities and motivation for public officials to carry out the implementation of the Romanian risk management strategy more effectively.

Target audience

Public officials tasked with the creation, implementation and management of anti-corruption strategies for central government organisations in Romania.

Key message

Effectively identifying corruption risks: Understanding how to correctly and systematically identify potential corruption risks based on likelihood and impact estimation, avoiding heuristics. Communications materials can promote the creation of a new web-based application or database for guiding officials in determining risk likelihood and impact or a new user’s guide, for example.

Communications channels and tools

Communicating to an internal audience requires employing widely used tools within the organisation. When information is communicated through channels that personnel access every day, the message is more likely to be received, understood and put into use and incorporated into the organisational culture (OECD, 2020[1]).

Internal communications channels could include:

• Internal email notices – Short, simple messages on corruption risk management tools can be highlighted in internal email notices. For instance, inclusion in an organisation’s internal knowledge sharing email, internal staff newsletter or other announcement emails that would reach the public officials involved in the implementation and management of anti-corruption strategies.

• Intranet page and advertisements – Key strategy information, resources and good practices can be published on an internal webpage. An infographic or simple visual can then be added to the intranet homepage to draw officials to the webpage.

• Staff events – Brownbag lunches, short seminars and townhall sessions can be used as a more participatory way to convey the key message, answer questions and further discuss strategy tools and good practices.

Communication tools

• Infographics – Infographics highlighting key issues, new tools or new developments can capture complex ideas in easy-to-understand visuals that can be used for both print and web-based communications products. For example, the behavioural flowchart in Chapter 1 (Figure ‎1.2) could be used for that purpose.

• Q&A’s and blogs – Short written pieces can reinforce an official’s comprehension of the strategy and provide examples of practical applications of the strategy as well as demonstrate new ways of approaching and analysing corruption risk.

• Presentations – Brief presentations on good practices can be used at staff events as a short introduction to the topic and the basis for a broader discussion among event participants.

Proposed activities

Internal webpage creation: This webpage can be hosted on the intranet and can outline the processes for identifying risks, their likelihood and their impact. The page can highlight good practices and provide a record of previous corruption incidents across public institutions in Romania. Infographics outlining the steps to take in carrying out corruption risk assessments can be created and featured on this page. The proposed web-based app can either be hosted on this page or linked to it.

Blog post: This blog post can be written and linked to the intranet webpage. The post can highlight the relevance of correctly assessing risk using available incident data, including an example of best practice from one of the public institutions adopting the Romanian risk management strategy.

Internal email tips: Short tips with accompanying infographics can be included in staff-wide emails. These can serve as small nudges to continue motivate officials to make data-driven decisions rather than defaulting to heuristics.

Brownbag event: Hosting an informal event for officials to attend to learn more about strategies for corruption risk identification and likelihood and impact estimation. The event can also be used to promote the rollout of the proposed web-based app, for example.

Box A ‎C.1. Example for internal email to raise attention and provide information

New tool alert! Our new web-based app can help determine risk exposure in 3 steps.

Step 1: Use the app to determine the frequency of similar cases and situations across government institutions. This case repository can be used to calculate risk probability.

Step 2: Research on specific case information in the web-based app can provide evidence on the potential financial and reputational impact of a corruption risk.

Step 3: Risk exposure can be determined by multiplying the risk probability score by the risk impact score. This final score can assist in determining intervention measures.

Source: Prepared by the OECD