This Anti-Corruption Helpdesk brief was produced in response to a query from a U4 Partner Agency. The U4 Helpdesk is operated by Transparency International in collaboration with the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre based at the Chr. Michelsen Institute.
Query
Could you provide an overview of software for managing and verifying asset declarations of public officials, including examples of countries where it has been implemented and lessons learned from implementation?
Purpose
Our Anticorruption and Integrity Department would need this information to inform other projects.
Content
- Benefits and challenges of using technology for managing income and asset declarations
- The use of technology for managing income and asset declarations
- Country examples
- References
Caveat
There is no universal generic software that can be used by countries to manage asset declaration schemes, and most countries have developed their own customised technical solutions. This answer focuses on the expected benefits of the use of technology for managing asset declarations and the core functions that such software should perform.
Summary
There is evidence in countries such as Argentina that the use of technology can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of asset declaration schemes by increasing compliance and decreasing management costs. The use of technology can contribute to reducing human error in the submission process, increasing the efficacy of the verification process and facilitating public access to asset declaration information.
Software for managing asset declaration regimes needs to be tailored to the local legislation and declaration items. No universal software can embrace the wide diversity of required specifications and functionalities that vary greatly across countries. Most oversight bodies implementing a technology-based asset declaration system have developed their own customised technical solution to perform their core functions.
Authors
Marie Chêne, Transparency International, [email protected]with input from Richard Messick, Hari Mulukutla and Timan Hoppe
Reviewers
Finn Heinrich, Ph.D., Transparency International, [email protected]Date
15/09/2015