Preventing corruption within government procurement: Constructing the disciplined and ethical subject

The supply-side of corruption and limits to preventing corruption within government procurement and constructing ethical subjects

“…Following Neu, Everett and Rahaman (2015) arguments, it may be possible to use market prices as benchmarks to detect artificial and inflated prices, but the case studies suggest that this process may not work smoothly. Major corporations dominate markets, and have considerable discretion in setting prices, especially if markets are fragmented, or compartmentalized into geographical jurisdictions (Sikka & Willmott, 2010).…”

“…The above themes are present in the paper by Neu, Everett and Rahaman (2015) which shines a light on the possibility of discouraging and combating corrupt practices within the government procurement process. In Foucaldian traditions, the hope is that ethical subjects/individuals can be produced through suitably designed internal controls and surveillance systems which give visibility to departures from the established norms.…”

“…The Big Brother approach implicit in the paper presupposes that individuals can be coerced to internalize some value systems and, in the process, somehow become ethical citizens. The surveillance systems advocated by Neu, Everett and Rahaman (2015) portrayed as are universal and are thought to be applicable across almost all cultures regardless of social tensions, legitimacy of the state and networks of power. Internal controls seek to produce a kind of stability and certainty by binding individuals within a system of governance, but they can always be resisted by those able to game or subvert them for personal gain.…”

Deciding over nature: Corruption and environmental impact assessments

“…First, environmental issues have recently significantly advanced up the list of priority agenda items in global public discourse, coalescing in particular around new funding mechanisms, policy measures and practical programs for adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change (Bulkeley and Newell 2015). Second, there is convincing existing empirical evidence for the prevalence of corruption in many countries' construction, procurement and natural resource sectors: all areas of particular relevance to EIAs (Wells 2015, Neu et al 2015, Kolstad and Søreide 2009. In light of the dearth of studies, this paper considers the main corruption risks in carrying out EIAs and asks what may be done to mitigate these risks on the part of public agencies interested in reducing them, including development aid donors.…”

Does Multi-Attribute Bidding in Public Construction Projects Prevent Corruption while Tenderers’ Preferences are Open? A Study of China’s Practice

“…If successful, these practices have the potentials to construct a disciplined and ethical subject whose behaviors make corruptive practices the exception rather than the norm. And, for these reasons, it is important to both understand and nurture the micro-practices of visibility (Neu D. et al 2015).…”