INTEGRATING ANTI-CORRUPTION IN THE WATER SECTOR

Complaints offices and innovative whistleblowing opportunities

Grievances and complaints about government bureaucracies, whether arising from the public or from within the organization, often fall on deaf ears. The legal systems that aim to address such grievances in many countries are often slow, expensive, and not user-friendly. Complaints and ombudsman’s offices, which are sometimes separate but often combined, can provide an option for addressing such grievances within the local government system (Gonzáles de Asis et al., 2009). 

But online-based whistle-blowing platforms are a more innovative solution. Based on the aggregation of data from citizen reports filed over time (decentralized mapping), accountability from these platforms can be very effective in putting pressure on corrupt public officials. Once it’s well-known, such a platform can have a preventive effect.