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GIACC Foundation and Activities

GIACC has since 2008 played a leading role internationally in raising awareness of corruption and promoting the implementation of effective anti-corruption actions by governments and organisations.

Foundation

GIACC was founded in May 2008 by Catherine Stansbury and Neill Stansbury.  They are both lawyers, each with over 35 years experience working in the international infrastructure sector, and over 20 years experience in corruption prevention.  They are the authors of the GIACC Resource Centre.

There has been a significant change in attitude over the last twenty years towards corruption in the infrastructure sector.  Corruption, in the form of bribery, extortion, fraud and cartels, is still widespread in many countries.  However, whereas previously corruption may have been tolerated as a necessary or unavoidable practice, it is now increasingly acknowledged that corruption is unacceptable.  

As a result of this change in attitude, a policy of zero-tolerance for corruption is being increasingly adopted by many governments, project owners, funders, and organisations and individuals working in the sector.  The concern for these stakeholders is no longer whether they should seek to eliminate corruption in their organisations, projects or business dealings, but how to do so. 

Consequently, there is a vital need to raise awareness about how corruption takes place, and to develop and implement anti-corruption measures.

GIACC was founded to help fulfill this need.  It was established with the purpose of developing, publishing and promoting, on an independent and impartial basis, effective and achievable anti-corruption training materials and preventive measures for the infrastructure sector.

Growth

GIACC has grown rapidly in size and reach since its foundation in 2008.  In particular, it has:

  • established an Advisory Council and Affiliate Council comprising leading and highly experienced infrastructure and compliance professionals;
  • developed a network of Affiliates in nine countries;
  • formed Alliances with 23 international, regional and national organisations whose reach covers over 110 countries. 

Activities

GIACC Resource Centre

GIACC in May 2008 published the GIACC Resource Centre (see menu on the left) which provides on-line information, advice and tools designed to help organisations and individuals in the public and private sector understand, prevent and deal with corruption.  The Resource Centre is periodically expanded and updated. 

These resources are provided free of charge by GIACC, as it is believed that the best chance of reducing corruption is if all governments, project owners, funders, and organisations and individuals working in the sector worldwide move towards common anti-corruption practices.  To do this, they need access to good practice resources regardless of their ability to pay.

ISO 37001 international anti-bribery standard

GIACC played a leading role in the development and publication of the anti-bribery standards BS 10500 and ISO 3700, and continues actively to promote the use of, and certification to, ISO 37001.  Neill Stansbury of GIACC was the Chairman of the 59 member country ISO Project Committee which wrote the standard.

Commonwealth Anti-Corruption Benchmarks

The Commonwealth Anti-Corruption Benchmarks were published in April 2021.  They were produced by the Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with GIACC and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).  They were developed in consultation with representatives of the African Union, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and Commonwealth law ministries, anti-corruption agencies, and partner organisations.  Catherine Stansbury of GIACC is the principal author of the Benchmarks.

Project Anti-Corruption System (PACS)

GIACC has developed the Project Anti-Corruption System (PACS), which is a management system designed to assist in the prevention and detection of corruption on infrastructure projects.  It comprises 15 PACS Standards which impact on all project phases, on all project participants, and throughout the project contractual structure. 

University Anti-Corruption Course

GIACC has developed a University Anti-Corruption Course, “Preventing Corruption on Infrastructure Projects”, which is distributed free of charge to universities. 

This course is intended to form part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree or professional qualification for students who are studying subjects relevant to the infrastructure sector (e.g. engineering, architecture, project management, procurement, quantity surveying).

Anti-corruption training for professionals

GIACC has published free online anti-corruption training modules which help professionals in the infrastructure sector understand corruption and how to prevent it.

GIACC has developed and provides anti-corruption training workshops for the personnel of governments, law enforcement bodies, public sector and private sector organisations, and professional institutions.

GIACC has provided training workshops in over 40 countries to participants in the infrastructure sector.  These participants included government officials, prosecutors, investigators, architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants, procurement managers, project managers and quantity surveyors. 

Raising awareness of corruption, and promoting implementation of anti-corruption measures

GIACC, either itself, or through its Affiliates, Alliances and Council Members:

  • raises public awareness of the damage and risks of corruption;
  • encourages organisations in the public and private sectors to implement effective anti-corruption measures;
  • supports national and international public sector bodies develop good practice.

For further information, contact GIACC

Updated on 8th February 2024

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