About Integrity Pacts: why

Experience has shown that Integrity Pacts have been effective at contributing to a broad range of positive outcomes to public contracting, such as:

• Improved trust in government and in the private sector;
• Value for money and cost savings in public contracting;
• Tender and contract implementation processes that remain on-time and on-track;
• Identification of gaps in a procurement framework and advocacy for systemic change;
• Detection of potential or actual corruption and appropriate actions to address the concern.

Where cost savings have been recorded, value for money has been achieved through increased competition, opening tenders up to a greater number of bidders and avoiding price distortions.

Various experiences have shown that Integrity Pacts are most impactful when applied in the pre-tender phase. Oversight at this time can ensure that public works projects respond to actual needs and allow for the greatest possible competition among bidders. See more about timing.

Integrity Pacts cannot offer a complete guarantee against corruption. Where used effectively, however, they can shed light on corruption or bid-rigging and trigger appropriate sanctions.

Impact studies

Here are some case studies of the positive impact of Integrity Pacts, even where they were unable to prevent corruption:

• Medicines procurement in Honduras: How Integrity Pacts helped bring transparency, fair competition and value to a deeply corrupt sector.
• Social Witnesses in Mexico: How the successful use of Integrity Pacts in two dam projects led to the systematic use of Social Witnesses in public procurement.
• Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme in Pakistan: How an Integrity Pact reduced costs on a massive public works tender – and has since become law.
• Berlin-Brandenburg Airport and Riga Tram: How Integrity Pacts can bring corruption to light even if they can’t prevent it.

Measuring impact

Measuring the impact of Integrity Pacts is also a challenge. Find out more about the importance of monitoring and learning, plus recommendations for short-term and medium-term indicators.