Combating Corruption Effectively in Asia and Beyond: What Will It Take?

1. Combating Corruption Effectively in Asia and Beyond:What Will It Take? June 2010 Scott A. Fritzen Vice-Dean and Associate Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy National University of Singapore

2. Overview • The satellite view: Three uneasy propositions about the fight against corruption • The helicopter view: Working in systems to change systems • The view from the trenches: Managing the process of change

3. 1. The satellite view (from space): Three uneasy propositions about fighting corruption • Diffusion without convergence • Political will without progress • Progress withoutsatisfaction

6. c. Progress without Satisfaction high Degree of Systemic Corruption low 5 years 10 years 15 years Time

7. high Citizen apathy regarding corruption low 5 years 10 years 15 years Time

8. high high Degree of Systemic Corruption Citizen apathy regarding corruption low low 5 years 10 years 15 years Time

9. 2. The ‘Helicopter’ View: How do you change a system while working within the system?

10. ‘Government’ is shifting to ‘Governance’…

11. Despite this, ‘Government’ is more important than ever… …but we have to think in new ways about critical capacities.

12. Problem- solving A ‘strategic triangle’ of capacities needed in the new environment Analytical role: Prioritizing and analyzing emerging problems, Finding solutions that can work

13. Example: Diagnosing corruption risk in the public sector • Corruption risk = Discretion + Monopoly - Accountability or… C = D + M - A

14. Manager’s role: Execution: Bridging the policy-implementation gap Making course corrections Operational Capacity

15. Political management role: Building viable coalitions across minimum necessary time frame Moderating and channelling conflict Support & Political feasibility

16. Mission Support Capacity The hard part:Touch all three bases Goal: Expand the overlap

17. (see what happens if you miss) Ex 1: Asset disclosure requirements Ex 2: ‘Grassroots Democracy’ in Vietnam

18. 3. The view from the ‘trenches’

19. Machiavelli’s insight • “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.” (N. Machiavelli, from The Prince)

20. A Modern Day Machiavelli?Kotter’s 8 fatal mistakes to avoid • Not having a clear vision • Not enough sense of urgency • Not creating a powerful enough guiding coalition • Undercommunicating the vision by a factor of ten • Not removing obstacles to the new vision, in the organization’s structure and systems • Not systematically planning for and creating short-term wins • Declaring victory too soon • Not anchoring changes in the corporation’s culture Adapted from John Kotter (1996)Leading Change (Harvard Business School Press)

21. Another equation: for thinking about change management: Ability to Promote Change Successfully = (Dissatisfaction + Vision + Notion of feasible first steps) – (Inertia + Resistance)

22. Conclusions • Zoom in, zoom out! • Draw lessons carefully! • Look for energy from unlikely sources. • Fasten your seatbelts. • Look beyond “political will”. • Prepare yourself for the leadership challenge…