RTI International to partner with CJL to research social norms and anti-corruption

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — RTI International, a nonprofit research and global development institute, has partnered with the Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Program (CJL) to pilot effective responses to corrupt patterns of behavior and their supporting social norms in natural resource management. The partnership will refine a methodology to help the USAID-funded Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans and Landscape (SIBOL) project, implemented by RTI, to identify, prioritize, and test ways to shift social norms and behavior in the Philippines and it is envisioned that the learning will be valuable across sectors. SIBOL is early in its implementation and the findings will be used to further inform implementation.

“Corruption is endemic in many countries in which RTI works. It is often systemic, woven into the fabric of how things get done, and has a significant, negative impact on public trust and service delivery in health, education and other sectors,” Richard Nash, senior anti-corruption and accountability specialist at RTI. “Corruption can undermine the sustainability of natural resource management efforts, and must be addressed in a systemic way to achieve impact.”

Within the system (of corruption) are social norms – the unspoken and informal behavioral rules shared by people in a given society/group that define what is considered appropriate behavior.

To investigate the connection between social norms and corruption, RTI and CJL and the SIBOL project team analyzed a detailed context analysis, summarized existing research, and will develop a causal loop map as a basis to understand what drives and enables natural resources decision making in a test site in the Philippines.  

An initial social norms scoping will be done based on the Understanding Social Norms: A Reference Guide for Policy and Practice process (Section D), which is an initial exploration of the role social norms play in endemic corruption in fragile states. If typical behaviors are identified that are held in place through norms, the partnership will use a social norms diagnostic to dig deeper to develop effective programming. The partners are committed to sharing lessons and processes as the research progresses.

The resulting process, tools and learning of the pilot will benefit not only governance and anti-corruption programming but also wildlife, health, education and other sectors.

Learn more about RTI’s work in governance and anti-corruption

Learn more about CJL