Research is an important foundational component of our work. Sound research is needed to enhance the Programme’s credibility, inform the tools, initiatives, and recommendations it develops, and increase the knowledge and awareness in an area as under-researched and inadequately understood as defence corruption.

Transparency International's Defence and Security Programme (TI-DSP) would like to see the field of corruption in the security and defence sphere studied much more comprehensively and systematically by many more institutions, so that its effects on good governance, national security, economic development and political stability may be adequately understood and addressed.

To date, TI-DSP has carried out primary- and secondary-source research on specific risk areas of defence and security corruption, such as single source procurement, codes of conduct, offsets, and organized crime. In addition, we have examined anti-corruption systems and reforms in specific countries and tracked how governments and industries have responded to it. Despite the significant contribution that has been made, we realise that much more work need to be done on this.

Whilst the TI DSP team has published a significant number of defence and security corruption related reports, we realise that much more could be done. With that in mind we keep and constantly update a list of research topics that we feel would not only enhance the literature on the subject, but increase the knowledge base as well.

The TI-DSP team is keen to develop interest and capability in academies, universities and military organisations for doing research on defence and security corruption. The team has a history of successful collaboration, with several of its studies being carried out by graduate students who join us from time to time.

TRACKING COUNTER-CORRUPTION REFORM

Going forward, TI-DSP plans to bolster research dedicated to tracking counter-corruption reform in countries, as well as counter-corruption systems within the defence industry. In this regard, our programme has initiated the construction of two indices – one to measure the integrity systems of national defence establishments and one to assess the transparency of individual defence companies in how they manage the problem of corruption. The ultimate aim of the indices is to prompt, encourage, and help both governments and companies to commit unequivocally to countering corruption.

Read more on Diagnosing Corruption Risks.

Read more on Our Work and Focus Areas.