From Research to Practice: The Journey of GI-ACE
On the last day of the conference, participants took part in a number of cross-cutting panel sessions, including looking at the role of A.C.E (Anti-Corruption Evidence) research programmes such as GI-ACE. The day featured primarily roundtable discussions on the evolution of the anti-corruption landscape and the future of anti-corruption scholarship and programming overall.
Synthesis of Cross Cutting Insights
Moderator: Paul M. Heywood
In this video, Paul Heywood, Professor at University of Nottingham and Research Director of the GI-ACE programme shared lessons gleaned from all three of the A.C.E. strands of research: GI-ACE (Global Integrity), SOAS-ACE (SOAS University of London) and SOC-ACE (Serious Organised Crime at the University of Birminngham).
The synthesis of all programme strands falls into three broad categories. Anti-corruption research must more effectively:
- challenge the status quo of “top-down” technocratic reform measures by being more problem-focused, specific, and looking at the function corruption plays within a given context
- understand the interrelation and interdependencies of the relationships at play, proposing reforms that are right-sized and right-timed.
- take into account the unintended consequences of anti-corruption reforms in order to ensure their sustainability.
Other speakers include:
Heather Marquette (SOC-ACE), Mushtaq Khan (SOAS-ACE), Pallavi Roy (SOAS-ACE), Sarah Lister, (UNDP), Roberto Kukutschka (Transparency International – Secretariat), John Heathershaw (University of Exeter), Gilbert Sendugwa (Africa Freedom of Information Center).
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for ACE? Reflections Across All ACE Programme Strands
Moderator: Pallavi Roy
In this video, Pallavi Roy, Research Director of the SOAS-ACE programme, engaged conference participants with questions around the future of anti-corruption research programming and the importance of evidence-based approaches to tackling corruption. Sharing insights from SOAS-ACE, Pallavi spoke on the importance of building policies that enhance peer-to-peer checks within private sector corruption to more effectively shift power dynamics.
SOAS seeks to tackle:
- Who is going to comply with the rules?
- Who is enforcing the enforcer?
- How do we ensure rules are complied with?
- How do we ensure rules aren’t being distorted?
Other speakers include Gerhard Anders (University of Edinburgh), Mushtaq Khan (SOAS-ACE), Rosa Da Costa (Independent Researcher), Olanrewaju Suraju (HEDA), Tena Prelec (University of Oxford), Cormac Bryce (Cass School of Business.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for ACE? Future Directions for Anti-Corruption Research
Moderator: Heather Marquette
In this video, Heather Marquette, Research Director of SOC-ACE at the University of Birmingham moderated a roundtable discussion among conference participants, focusing largely on how to ensure anti-corruption academics are able to make their research and evidence accessible stakeholders as wide ranging as policymakers in Whitehall, UK to transparency activists in Uganda.
- What kind of language are we using to make research accessible?
- How do we know we are asking the right questions? How do we target the right audience?
- How can academics make themselves available as technical experts to inform the strategic decision making of policymakers?
Other speakers include Katja Bechtel (World Economic Forum), Rosa Da Costa (Independent Researcher), Claudia Baez Camargo (Basel Institute of Governance), John Heathershaw (University of Exeter), Richard Samabiga (University of Dar es Salaam).