This briefing paper explores why Bangladesh’s 2007 ‘big bang’ anti-corruption drive failed and what it means for future reform. It highlights the limits of sweeping enforcement strategies in high-corruption contexts and draws out lessons for designing more feasible, targeted and effective anti-corruption approaches.
This working paper examines Bangladesh’s 2007–2009 anti-corruption drive — one of the most ambitious attempts to tackle corruption in a high-corruption context. It explores why the ‘big bang’ approach not only failed but ultimately contributed to a more concentrated and authoritarian political settlement, and lessons for future reform.
This synthesis of 40 studies examines corruption in health systems as a systemic feature shaped by incentives, power and informal practices. It highlights the limits of conventional approaches and outlines more politically feasible pathways to effective reform.
Stakeholder feedback on a proposed cooperative renewable energy pilot for SMEs in Nigeria, with implications for refining design, governance and financing.
This progress report documents the design, implementation and rollout of a pilot intervention to reduce health worker absenteeism in primary healthcare facilities in Enugu State, Nigeria. The project approach shifts the focus from punitive enforcement to absenteeism as a governance challenge, using the Power-Capabilities-Interest framework.
Due to the failure of grid-based supply, over 80% of SMEs in Nigeria own or use a generator, or self-generate. This is hugely damaging environmentally, as generators use diesel. Also, SMEs are not ...
This case study shows how the SOAS-ACE approach was applied to address policy-distorting corruption in Nigeria's electricity sector. The SOAS-ACE approach tackles corruption when traditional ...
Expenditure on pharmaceuticals comprises a large share of health budgets. It involves many different actors, often working out of the public gaze, making the process ...
Skills training programmes are critical for job creation and structural transformation in developing countries. However, they often achieve poor results because of corruption. By looking ...
This case study was developed as part of the SOAS ACE “How to” guide, “Navigating the Political Economy of Corruption: Observing and understanding actors’ behaviours, ...
