ACA  APPROACH

The ACA aims to become a centre of excellence by professionalizing anti-corruption and good governance research, education, training, policy construction, implementation and monitoring. Our objective is to better align the legal mandates, ethical conduct and actual practices. We propose to do this by creating and imparting valid and policy-useful knowledge, identifying key problems and challenges, facilitating the construction of long-term evidence-based strategies, promoting pragmatic expectations, introducing performance indicators and benchmarks that will assist in self-assessments, risk and vulnerability analyses, recognition and support of anti-corruption leaders and promoting accountability. The best way to achieve this with continuity and effectiveness is by being inclusive and reaching out to and involving all parts of our society, economy and government. We wish to bring about a consensus on the nature of problems, current capacity, priority needs, policy options and realistic targets. We also want to inspire and stimulate young and older generations to think critically, engage in this journey with us and actively contribute new ideas and solutions.

We recognize that this pioneering project entails cross-sector interactions, familiarity with information, experiences and needs in agencies, organizations or professions other than our own. Anti-corruption involves multiple actors who ideally must coordinate their activities, collaborate and perhaps integrate functions (e.g. bodies focusing on prevention, outreach, ombudsman tasks, anti-money laundering, auditing, investigations, prosecution, asset recovery, international cooperation and mutual legal assistance, public procurement oversight, etc.

Because all this will not happen overnight, we are committed to help ensure continuity and effectiveness in this over the period it will take to reach all of our ideals, while we will propose and execute many short-term projects that will accomplish immediate goals, foster credibility and build momentum, while gradually paving the path to the future vision we have for our society.

For these reasons, the ACA approach is

  • Inter-disciplinary, ensuring that all perspectives and theoretical orientations are taken into account and reflected in all our programmes and activities.
  • Cross-sectoral, linking researchers, teachers and practitioners from different organizational and career paths.
  • International, taking stock of global and regional standards, lessons learned, challenges to be aware of and good practices.
  • Integrative, exploring and suggesting synergies and opportunities for public-private partnerships, joint projects with academia and civil society, collaborations within India and with bodies in Asia and the global community.
  • Strategic, plotting a course based on solid evidence, thorough analysis, innovative thinking, genuine input from all stakeholders, and instrumental linkage of short projects with the long-term aims.