Education and capacity-building are key components in the fight against corruption. Tailoring support and being responsive to the needs of different audiences is crucial in developing effective training materials on anti-corruption.

Building capacity and raising awareness about Collective Action and the role of the private sector in the fight against corruption allows for a better and common understanding of how the public and private sector and civil society can better work together to uphold standards of business integrity and mitigate corruption risks.

Existing trainings on anti-corruption Collective Action

• The Basel Institute launched an eLearning course on anti-corruption Collective Action which aims to provide participants with the necessary knowledge and tools to conceptualize, establish and implement Collective Action initiatives. This self-paced course can be used to inspire governments and National Anti-Corruption Agencies to promote Collective Action among civil society and the private sector.

The three modules will be available soon. Watch this space or subscribe to our newsletter to be the first one informed!

• The United Nations Global Compact developed a short self-paced course on Collective Action. This course introduces a six-step approach to bring together companies, make a clear diagnosis of the local corruption landscape as well as identify and engage with key actors.

Teaching materials on the role of the private sector in fighting corruption

• The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) developed a training modules series on anti-corruption for higher education. Amongst the 13 modules, one is dedicated to the role of the private sector.

Available in Spanish, Portuguese and Russian, the module addresses some of the most common forms of corruption in the private sector, and discusses their cause and consequences, as well as possible measures to prevent them. It also presents the opportunities that Collective Action offers in tackling corrupt practices within the private sector.

• The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published a toolkit for raising awareness and preventing corruption in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which lists all the trainings and guidance available for SMEs on business integrity.

How do we go beyond awareness raising?

Training and raising awareness about multistakeholder approaches to fighting corruption is a great way to get started, especially in contexts where engagement platforms are missing and dialogue between the public and the private sectors is strained.

However, corruption prevention authorities can go one step further by evolving these training platforms into long-standing engagement platforms. Offering space for consultation, discussion and facilitating dialogue between private and public entities enables decision-makers to better understand business realities, identify gaps and focus corruption prevention priorities, rather than focusing on the passing and enforcing of laws.

Supporting Collective Action initiatives and incentivizing the private sector to act collectively are also possible ways to go beyond training.

For more practical details and illustrations, read our Practical Guide on how National Anti-Corruption Agencies can engage the private sector in Collective Action here.