The USAID Anti-Corruption Task Force commissioned research on how social and behavior change (SBC) approaches address social norms and behaviors related to corruption and where SBC approaches can be used to improve current and future anti-corruption activities. This summary offers key take-aways from that research. More information and context can be found in the full findings and recommendations report.

Drawing from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, economics, and political science, SBC is the application of theory-based approaches to address the factors that drive or enable behaviors at the individual, community, and/or societal levels. Approaches to change behaviors, attitudes, and norms are widely understood to form a critical part of efforts to counter corruption, but these approaches are currently poorly understood and underutilized. As a result, few large-scale anti-corruption initiatives have been informed by SBC insights—partly due to a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of SBC approaches for these efforts.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded anti-corruption (AC) programs implemented during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. In particular, the study explores the degree to which USAID-funded programs adapted to corruption risks that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effectiveness of these adaptations in achieving their objectives. The study uses these findings as the basis for recommendations on how USAID might adapt its AC programming during the next pandemic or comparable crisis.

In line with the U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption, USAID now defines corruption as “the abuse of entrusted power and influence for personal or political gain”. At the heart of this definition is the exploitation of power - both formal and informal - to divert, misappropriate or capture public resources, goods and access for personal and political purposes.