Can changing an organisations anti-corruption environment through total quality ownership change the shape of how an organisation addresses and mitigates corruption risk.
Total Quality Ownership (TQO) is a management approach that extends the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) to include a shared responsibility and accountability framework throughout an organisation. When applied to anti-corruption systems, TQO aims to create an environment where all employees and stakeholders are committed to preventing corruption and promoting transparency.
Objectives of Total Quality Ownership in Anti-Corruption Systems
Having a top down approach to anti-corruption where policy and procedures are implemented, where compliance is instigated for staff to follow, has limited efficacy when it comes to anti-corruption. It has the potential to create a 'them and us' environment or 'carrot and stick' where a system is run by a small group of personnel trying to identify and mitigate risk and at the same time introducing limited education and awareness in the hope that this will garner staff support to their cause.
In consistently engaging and creating dialogue with all staff creates a new opportunity to discuss and resolve some of the key challenges at an operational level that may not have otherwise been visible to leadership.
An environment focusing on quality brings a sense of purpose, motivation and pride, fostering personal growth and a strong sense of community
Creating an environment where individuals feels safe in discussing ethical concerns and reporting corruption risk where appropriate, can create a multitude of benefits including:
Introduces Ownership & Responsibility: Building trust and motivating staff starts with giving individuals ownership and responsibility for maintaining integrity and ethical standards in day to day operations;
Improves Transparency: Promotes openness in managing processes and decision-making to prevent corrupt practices;
Fosters an environment of Integrity: Create an organisational culture where ethical behaviour is the norm;
Continuous Improvement: Implements continual improvement to anti-corruption measures;
Increase in staff feedback and engagement can give greater clarity on the insider threat at an operational level that may not be understood by leadership due to communication barriers.
Key Principles:
In addition to the normal principles surrounding ethical conduct and integrity, when focusing on the success of a quality process area of attention should include:
Customer Focus: Prioritizing the needs and expectations of stakeholders;
Leadership Commitment: Leaders must be dedicated to promoting and supporting quality initiatives;
Employee Engagement: Every employee is responsible for quality;
Continuous Improvement: Regularly enhancing processes and systems;
Process Approach: Managing activities and resources as interconnected processes.
Steps to Implement Total Quality Ownership in Anti-Corruption Systems
Commitment from Leadership
There can be many aspects and ways in which a leader can evidence their commitment to a new quality approach:
Lead by Example: Top management must demonstrate and communicate a commitment to anti-corruption by their actions and decisions;
Secure commitment from top management to champion TQO principles;
Appoint a TQO leader or committee to oversee implementation;
Policy Development: Establish clear anti-corruption policies and communicate them throughout the organisation;
Delegate the day to day oversight and management of anti-corruption quality assurance to operational staff and managers.
Establish a Clear Framework for Anti-Corruption
An important part of the anti-corruption quality framework is that everyone knows their role and responsibility within the risk identification, decision making and change management process:
Define Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly outline the roles and responsibilities related to anti-corruption efforts;
Stakeholder Analysis: Identify key stakeholders (employees and customers), understand their expectations and how they are affected by corruption;
Creating TQO Circles: Form a committee responsible for overseeing the implementation and effectiveness of the TQO circles and the risk identification, decision making and change management process;
Risk Assessment: Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify areas prone to corruption;
Develop a risk management plan addressing identified vulnerabilities.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Develop SOPs for processes susceptible to corruption (e.g., procurement, finance and asset management);
Incorporate checks and balances to prevent and detect corrupt activities.
Training and Awareness
Conduct Training Programmes
Continual learning and awareness is at the heart of a quality process, sharing information on best practice.
Implement mandatory training programmes on TQO principles and anti-corruption policies;
Use real-life scenarios and case studies to illustrate the importance of adhering to these principles.
Awareness Campaigns:
Launch awareness campaigns to promote a culture of integrity and transparency.
Utilize various communication channels (newsletters, intranet, workshops) to disseminate information.
Integrate Anti-Corruption Measures into Daily Operations
Once the quality circles are introduced and individuals understand their role and responsibility within it, the efficacy of the process will become efficient and effective.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Incorporate anti-corruption measures into SOPs for all relevant processes;
Ethical Decision-Making Framework: Provide tools and guidelines to help employees make ethical decisions.
Encouraging Employee Engagement and Feedback
Communication and engagement are at the heart of the quality process and introducing a feedback system is an effective way of measuring its success.
Whistleblower Mechanisms:
Establish secure and anonymous channels for reporting suspicious activities;
Ensure protection against retaliation for whistleblowers.
Feedback Systems:
Create mechanisms for employees to provide feedback on anti-corruption measures;
Act on feedback to continuously improve the system.
Monitor and Evaluate
Once introduced in its entirety, the communication, engagement, ownership and responsibility should provide for the free flow of information within an organisation. Introducing measures to assess the performance of the approach is an integral part of continual improvement.
Regular Audits: Conduct regular audits to assess the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures;
Performance Metrics: Develop metrics to evaluate the performance of the anti-corruption system and individual accountability.
Promoting Continuous Improvement
Regular Reviews:
Schedule regular reviews of anti-corruption policies and procedures;
Incorporate lessons learned from incidents and audits into the improvement process.
Benchmarking:
Compare anti-corruption practices with industry standards and best practices.
Adopt innovative approaches and technologies to stay ahead in the fight against corruption.
Best Practices for Sustaining Total Quality Ownership
As part of a continual improvement process, internal and external communication can be a valuable tool in not only motivating staff but also highlighting this success to external stakeholder or potential clients.
Foster a Collaborative Environment: Encourage collaboration across departments and with external stakeholders to strengthen anti-corruption efforts;
Celebrate Successes: Recognize and reward individuals and teams who demonstrate a strong commitment to ethical behaviour and anti-corruption;
Maintain Transparency: Regularly communicate the organisation’s anti-corruption efforts and outcomes to build trust and credibility.
Celebrating Success and Recognizing Efforts
Recognition Programmes
Recognise and reward employees who demonstrate a strong commitment to anti-corruption efforts;
Celebrate milestones and successes to motivate continued adherence to TQO principles.
Conclusion
Implementing Total Quality Ownership within anti-corruption systems requires a comprehensive approach that integrates accountability, transparency and continuous improvement. By committing to these principles and fostering a culture of integrity, organisations can significantly reduce the risk of corruption and enhance their overall effectiveness and reputation. Follow this guide to integrate TQO principles into your anti-corruption strategies effectively.
Learn more about risk assessment and TQO from our RESOURCES page?
Build your knowledge on procurement fraud and corruption from our VIDEO LIBRARY
Comments