More and more governments and international actors are promoting the introduction and creation of specialized entities to fight corruption. The question then becomes: what makes an effective anti-corruption authority? The aim of this review is to analyze the effectiveness of the Federal Ethics Anti-corruption Commission (FEACC) of Ethiopia based on questionnaires and in-depth interviews conducted with the FEACC‘s leadership and staff and other pertinent parties. The effectiveness of the FEACC is assessed using internal and external factors that affect its functions. The results of the study show that the FEACC has made notable progress since its establishment in 2001. In particular, it has carried out several important initiatives aimed at enhancing the Commission‘s effectiveness in the fight against corruption and has undergone a massive reengineering program to establish itself as an independent anti-corruption agency, which is the first of its kind in the country‘s history. In addition, high-level government commitment has resulted in consistent budgetary support. However, despite positive developments and achievements, the Commission is under-staffed and suffers from a lack of resources needed to carry out its mandate. Currently, human capacity and resource constraints are the most serious challenges facing the Commission. Furthermore, the relationship between the FEACC and civil society organizations is limited, and the FEACC needs to make increased efforts to garner greater public support and trust as the public‘s confidence in the Commission is not very high. Nevertheless, it is clear that the FEACC has made notable strides in improving the effectiveness of its operations and has the potential to become an effective anti-corruption authority. Yet in order to be fully effective, it is essential that the Commission enhance its staff capabilities related to its main anti-corruption functions.
What are the main functions and operations of your agency?
QUESTION #11 FROM OUR SURVEYS
- A review of the literature on ACAs indicates that there is no standard approach or model when it comes to the establishment of an ACA and the definition of its mandate.
- Some ACAs have been created from scratch, while others have built on existing ombudsman offices, special units within police departments, or justice departments.
- The ACAs included in this initiative are no different. The majority of ACAs have some preventive and investigating functions, but prosecution is carried out by less than half.
COUNTRY PROFILES
Select a country from the drop down menu below. Please note that only countries that have completed the survey are listed on the drop down menu. To include your country in this initiative please contacts us.
Select a country from the drop down menu below. Please note that only countries that have completed the survey are listed on the drop down menu. To include your country in this initiative please contacts us.
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Apr 09, 2015
The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) was established in September 1994 under the Corruption and Economic Crime Act Model and staffed by the former members of the Hong Kong agency and local personnel. The Directorate is an... Read More
65%
OF COUNTRIES HAVE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAWS
FROM OUR COUNTRY CROSS-ANALYSIS
The existence of anti-corruption laws is the first step in addressing corruption and creating an enabling environment for ACAs to operate effectively. Anti-corruption laws and regulations such as freedom of information, conflict of interest legislation, whistle-blower protection and financial disclosure, can facilitate the investigative and prosecution functions of ACAs.
For this reason, many countries have introduced this type of laws, as the data collected highlights. This may appear encouraging for the seemingly widespread existence of a comprehensive legal system in support of ACAs activities. It is however important to stress that the data presented capture the existence of the laws (“de jure” system) and not whether the laws are implemented (“de facto”).