Discover how monitoring & evaluation (M&E) can help measure and strengthen the fight against corruption in developing countries.
Tracking progress in anti-corruption programs in developing countries
Corruption remains one of the main obstacles to development in many low- and middle-income countries. It undermines citizens’ and partners’ trust, deters investment, and compromises the quality of essential services such as education, health care, and access to energy. Today, the fight against corruption is at the heart of global priorities. Over the past two decades, several governments have launched anti-corruption programs. However, one central question remains: how can we measure the real progress of these initiatives ?
This blog article explores the approaches, tools, and best practices used to monitor the progress of anti-corruption programs.
Monitoring & evaluation : the key to an effective anti-corruption strategy
Corruption encompasses a wide range of practices that distort public decision-making, erode citizen trust, and slow economic growth. According to the world bank, corruption “weakens institutions, erodes social fabric, and diverts public resources at the expense of the poorest.” Global losses due to corruption are estimated at more than $2.6 trillion per year (about 5% of global gdp). In developing countries, the consequences are even more devastating. Funds intended for health, energy, education, or agriculture are sometimes siphoned off.
To eliminate this scourge, it is not enough to launch a program or adopt reforms. Rigorous monitoring & evaluation is needed to ensure that these initiatives actually produce the expected results.
M&E offers several advantages: it makes progress visible, enhances governmental transparency, and strengthens institutional accountability. It also provides data for organizational learning, allowing anti-corruption programs to be adjusted, optimized, and steered toward impact.
M&E therefore creates the conditions for credible accountability to citizens, international partners, and donors. This strengthens the legitimacy of institutions and their reforms.
Tools and approaches for measuring progress in anti-corruption programs
Measuring progress in anti-corruption programs is complex, as corruption shifts with political, economic, and cultural contexts. Nevertheless, several monitoring and evaluation tools can help assess progress and guide reforms.
International indices: a global barometer
Perception indices play a major role in monitoring and evaluating anti-corruption efforts. The most well-known is transparency international’s corruption perceptions index, published annually and ranking more than 180 countries according to perceived corruption in the public sector. It remains a reference for tracking trends and identifying high-risk areas. The world bank’s worldwide governance indicators (WGI) also measure governance quality across six dimensions, including political stability and control of corruption.
National surveys : contextualized monitoring & evaluation
Surveys of civil servants, businesses, and households complement quantitative data and add a human, contextual dimension. They help identify the sectors most affected (public procurement, health, justice, etc.) And assess the perception of ongoing reforms.
Institutional audits and budget monitoring
Oversight bodies (courts of accounts, inspectorates general, anti-corruption authorities) play a key role in internal monitoring. Public audits, publication of budget reports, and expenditure reviews help detect irregularities and reinforce transparency in public financial management.
Participatory evaluations and public accountability
Beyond technical data, the fight against corruption relies on social accountability. Participatory budgeting, citizen observatories, and civil society–government coalitions help integrate citizens into policy monitoring.
Governments can use new technologies to strengthen public participation—for example, secure whistleblowing systems or mobile applications for citizen reporting. This collaborative approach builds trust and improves the quality of public policies.
Challenges and limitations in monitoring anti-corruption programs
Despite major efforts in recent years, the implementation and monitoring of anti-corruption programs in developing countries face several structural and contextual challenges.
Lack of reliable and comparable data
One major obstacle is the scarcity of reliable data. Corruption is, by nature, hidden. It does not always leave accounting or legal traces. Available statistics often rely on perceptions rather than concrete facts.
Moreover, definitions and data-collection methods vary from one country to another, making international comparisons difficult. For example, a rural bribe may be seen as a cultural practice in one context but clearly considered corruption elsewhere.
Political resistance and conflicts of interest
In some developing countries, corruption is deeply rooted in power networks. Political resistance is a major barrier to transparency. Some leaders may hesitate to publish evaluation results that reveal weaknesses in public management. Monitoring mechanisms then become symbolic or are instrumentalized for political purposes. This undermines institutional credibility and discourages citizen participation.
Lack of coordination between stakeholders
The fight against corruption involves many stakeholders (government, civil society, private sector, technical and financial partners). Poor coordination leads to duplication and resource fragmentation.
Effective M&E systems must be part of an integrated national strategy where roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.
Insufficient technical capacity
In many low- and middle-income countries, oversight institutions often lack human, financial, and technological resources. Their independence may also be compromised by political influence.
Strengthening institutional capacity must therefore be a priority because without technical skills or autonomy, even the best tools cannot produce meaningful impact.
Perspectives for strengthening monitoring of anti-corruption programs
Given these challenges, new approaches are needed to make monitoring more effective, participatory, and aligned with local dynamics. As experts in monitoring & evaluation, kerus consulting international shares several recommendations :
- prioritize integrated and transparent monitoring systems: interoperability of databases facilitates quick anomaly detection and real-time accountability.
- promote proactive transparency and citizen participation: governments should adopt transparency as an institutional culture.
- strengthen regional and international cooperation: no country can fight corruption alone. Initiatives like the un convention against corruption (uncac) offer solid frameworks for technical cooperation, data sharing, and institutional strengthening.
- leverage open data and artificial intelligence: open data and ai open new possibilities for m&e. Automated analysis of public transactions, markets, and procurement processes makes it easier to detect risk patterns and uncover fraudulent practices more quickly.
Conclusion
Monitoring progress in anti-corruption programs is not a simple technical exercise. It is an act of governance a lever of trust and a marker of public responsibility.
Developing countries that invest in transparency, technology, and citizen participation lay the foundation for more just, inclusive, and sustainable development.
The role of specialized monitoring, evaluation, and governance actors like kerus consulting international is essential to turning intentions into measurable results and commitments into concrete impacts.
References
- How to measure corruption ?, world customs organization
- Global anti-corruption program
- Control of corruption indicator
- Tailored monitoring and evaluation for anti-corruption agencies
- Challenges of fighting corruption : experiences from four developing countries