1. Mobile technology as a means to fight corruption in East Africa Johan Hellström johan@upgraid.org M4D2010 SPIDER Workshop - Increasing Transparency and Fighting Corruption through ICT November 11, 2010

2. Johan Hellström UPGRAID Wide definition of corruption abuse/misuse of public office for private gain usually illegal and must be kept secret quite corruption - inefficiency, failure to deliver services, malpractice of frontline providers, absenteeism, low level of effort No matter how corruption is defined, it weakens societies and impacts and hinders social and economic development.

3. Johan Hellström UPGRAID Corruption trends Indicators: reduced corruption in EA 1999-2009 The result of government interventions, higher salaries, donor strategies... Alternative explanation: the very presence of a decentralised information and communication network produces demands for better public services Shrink the veil of secrecy that shields corrupt Hypothesis supported by Bailard (2009)

4. Johan Hellström UPGRAID Use the mobile to: record voice and take pictures call or SMS corruption hotlines or for whistle- blowing call-in radio shows receive/send Bulk SMS  information campaigns  direct the user...

5. Johan Hellström UPGRAID Projects There are a number of promising initiatives looking at citizen-to-government accountability using mobile solutions in East Africa:  CU@SCHOOL (Uganda): tracking teacher and pupil attendance and absenteeism  Budget Tracking Tool (Kenya): helps citizens to monitor and track disbursements and utilisation of developments funds  Ugandawatch2011 (Uganda): monitoring election fraud and malpractices

6. Johan Hellström UPGRAID 3 questions Do you know of any other example where mobile technology is used as a means to fight corruption? What would you say are the major challenges in using mobile solutions to increase transparency and reduce corruption? How can anonymity be secured in situations when anonymous submissions and leaks of sensitive information are communicated?

7. Johan Hellström UPGRAID Challenges infrastructure, content, funding and affordability anonymity and privacy: increased control and central monitoring, non-functioning whistle- blowing protection few linkages between citizens and above the lowest level of local governments people tend to see government services as a favour rather than their right

8. Johan Hellström UPGRAID What else?

9. Johan Hellström UPGRAID References Bailard, 2009. Mobile Phone Diffusion and Corruption in Africa. Political Communication Shleifer and Vishny, 1993, Corruption, The Quarterly Journal of Economics Svensson, 2005, Eight Questions about Corruption, Journal of Economic Perspectives. World Bank, Africa Development Indicators 2010: Silent and Lethal: How Quiet Corruption Undermines Africa’s Development Efforts

10. Thank you! Johan Hellström johan@upgraid.org http://upgraid.wordpress.com/