Knowledge Hour – Corruption Perceptions Index, procurement, and transparency's role
Transparency International New Zealand executive director Julie Haggie and board director Sarah Cotgreave talk about what happens when procurements go wrong and what you can do to make sure they go right.
How procurers can improve transparency and push back against bad practice.
All of this and more was covered in a Knowledge Hour with Transparency International New Zealand's executive director Julie Haggie and board director Sarah Cotgreave.
The talk focused on the very recent decline New Zealand has had in Transparency International's Corruptions Perceptions Index.
For a very long time Aotearoa was ranked number 1 for the least amount of corruption but very recently had found itself losing its status.
Julie Haggie Transparency International New Zealand executive director
“Other countries are noticing the decline and talking about it.
“We know fraud and corruption cases are occurring in quite large numbers.”
It's not always about cash. It can be about getting something in exchange for goods, she said.
New Zealand is now 4th in the world, still in the top 10 worldwide, but the nation's score has dropped 10% over the last 4 years, she said.
The types of corruption identified included bid rigging, collusion, nepotism, kickbacks, and manipulation of the tender process.
Sarah shared a list of red flags people can use when managing their tenders and procurement projects to spot corruption or fraud.
She said to look for the repeated mistakes in tender documents, and to look at the numbers. Regular audits and up-to-date certifications were a must.
Sarah shared personal experiences about how bad corruption can get in procurement and why agencies and suppliers should always invest in communications and relationships.
When she was working in the UK she was on one project and started to wonder why she wasn't receiving as many applications from suppliers as usual. Tenders were getting physically accepted at the door, and one of her supplier contacts told her he'd been threatened with physical violence if his company applied.
Julie and Sarah also shared a raft of tools people could use to help their procurement projects. These are cited in the Knowledge Hour.
Watch the Knowledge Hour on Hīkina to find out more:
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