Data sources
Benchmarking and surveys are two main data sources used to monitor and evaluate anti-corruption interventions:
Benchmarking
Indicators of technical (e.g. volume of water produced) and financial (e.g. estimated prices with actually awarded contract prices in procurement procedures) performance have been used for over a decade to compare performance of public and private water service delivery. Benchmarking refers to the use of indicators to compare between systems with comparable characteristics over time. The process is continuous and helps system managers improve performance.
However, a deviating value for a certain performance indicator is not necessarily a causal indicator of corruption. Many factors can cause a deviation from the average. Specific local circumstances can cause variations in utility costs and performance, such as the price of local labor and construction materials; geography; the condition and age of existing infrastructure; and availability of water resources. The comparison through benchmarking only serves to initiate analysis.