The Basel Institute on Governance is an international and independent not-for-profit organisation working worldwide with the public and private sectors to counter corruption and other financial crimes and to improve the quality of governance. As a Swiss foundation with headquarters in Basel, the Basel Institute maintains field operations in Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. The Basel Institute is an Associated Institute of the University of Basel.
The Basel Institute’s Green Corruption programme focuses on applying our in-house expertise and experience in relation to the prevention of corruption and the enforcement of anti-corruption and anti-money laundering standards to the environmental sector. The programme covers corruption and financial crime related to the illegal trade in wildlife, forestry and timber products, fish and mining.
The role
Numerous government agencies tasked with natural resource/wildlife management continue to suffer from the effects of corruption. This severely undermines their effectiveness and in many instances may serve as an important enabler of wildlife trafficking.
Anti-corruption efforts around the world have long highlighted the importance of internal control units as the first lines of defence to prevent and detect corruption risks within public institutions. The value of such mechanisms for preventing corruption in natural resource management has been highlighted in various reports.
As part of an ongoing research engagement with the Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project, the Basel Institute is exploring the value of internal controls for preventing corruption in natural resource management, and how such mechanisms can be tailored to different contexts. TNRC is a USAID-funded project to improve biodiversity outcomes by helping practitioners to address the threats posed by corruption to wildlife, fisheries, and forests.
Key roles and responsibilities
Assignment
The IWT Internal Controls Consultant will support the above-described project by helping to develop a better understanding of the design and effectiveness of internal control systems currently in place at relevant government agencies in Malawi. He/she will then assist in developing practical recommendations to reduce corruption risks through the implementation of effective systems of internal control in Malawi.
The Consultant will report to the Research Lead Wildlife Management Agency Internal Controls and Green Corruption Team Leader, as well as other Green Corruption team members based in Basel. Given ongoing travel restrictions, we are expecting that the Consultant will have to work independently.
Activities and timeline
The Consultant will be contracted for 15 days over an eight-month period (February-September 2022) to perform the following responsibilities:
1. Desk research:
a. Review existing rules and regulations related to corruption prevention, detection, deterrence, and correction.
b. Review of agency-specific documentation: org structures, decrees on internal controls/audits, agency-specific corruption prevention plans, relevant internal and external assessments, practice guides, performance reports, etc.
2. Tool development:
a. Provide input on the methods and data collection instruments.
3. Data gathering:
a. Facilitate interviews with relevant stakeholders.
b. Conduct interviews and apply data collection instruments to select participants.
4. Data analysis:
a. Assist in the interpretation of results.
5. Reporting:
a. Provide inputs to the draft of the reports.
b. Participate in presentations of results to agencies (individual results) and public (anonymised findings) on process and results, if needed.
Deliverables
• One overview of existing rules and regulations in Malawi addressing the prevention, detection, deterrence, and correction of identified key corruption risks. The document will also describe agency-specific documentation as per task 1b above.
• Presentations of results to agencies (individual results) and public (anonymised findings) on process and results (if needed).
• Organisation of interviews with up to 10 stakeholders identified in collaboration with the Research Lead.
• For identified key corruption risks, data analysis of control design, implementation and effectiveness based on interviews and other available documentation.
• Draft report (risk-based, modular, in coordination with Research Lead).
Experience and skills
- Five years experience with risk mitigation measures or internal controls in government OR extensive knowledge of governance issues related to wildlife trafficking.
- Familiarity working with government agencies in Malawi, preferably law enforcement and wildlife management agencies.
- Excellent English interviewing and writing skills are required.
- Experience working with small research teams remotely.