RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR CORRUPTION CONTROL THROUGH BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

The Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) is a beneficiary of a MacArthur Foundation research grant targeted at providing research support for corruption control, using behavioural methodologies to achieve Behaviour Change outcomes..

NISER is providing support, primarily through research, for corruption control using behavioral change methods.  The research seeks to understand corrupt behavior, why people act the way they do, and what barriers exist to changing these behaviors. Our understanding will enable us to design more effective interventions for corruption control.

The project work streams are categorized along three main lines.

1. Research & Capacity building,
2. Communication & Dissemination,
3. Institutionalization

Flowing from this broad taxonomy, we envisage that the research will impact thinking within the community of practice at the level of conceptualization, intervention design, knowledge management and dissemination of key messages on corrupt behaviour. Capacity building will impact the ability of researchers in the social sciences to conduct similar work, build on our methodologies and solutions and thus advance research on the subject. Additionally, the establishment of a specialised knowledge centre will ensure sustainability of the effort at learning and improving behavioural change solutions for corruption control. The program is thus designed as a two-pronged effort to [1] support corruption control through evidence and analysis from research and [2] support institutional capacity for research that yields evidence for  behavioural change solutions design.

We envisage ultimately that this program will provide evidence to support decision and policy making on corruption control in Nigeria.  Our expected outcomes are designed Behavioural Solutions and Interventions, which we hope, will be mainstreamed into organizations and systems in Nigeria, particularly, the public sector.

NISER is one of other beneficiaries in a Behavioral Change (BC) Cohort. Other members of the cohort include Faith Based Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations and Policy Organizations.  Other Policy Organizations in the cohort are:

ICPC- Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN)

Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG)

Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS)

The grant is designed as a three year intervention running from September 1, 2021-August 31, 2024.