11.7 Training and awareness raising for contractors and subcontractors

An explicit commitment to integrity, as well as an explanation of the mission’s approach to mitigating corruption risks within in its supply chain, could help promote integrity standards among those who cooperate with the mission. Outreach in the form of training and workshops could help illustrate that commitment and pass on practical knowledge on corruption mitigation measures.

Especially where the mission employs conditionality or includes integrity requirements in sustainment or reconstruction contracts, training and awareness raising for contractors and subcontractors should be obligatory, and should provide support for contractors wishing to comply with the conditions. These training programmes need to go beyond the processes and procedures to establish a common understanding of corruption and what the mission considers to be a corrupt practice. This is especially important as some practices that are seen as corrupt in some environments – collusion or overbilling, for example – might not be interpreted as such elsewhere.

However, it might not be necessary for the mission to organise and deliver the training itself. It is also possible to partner with local and international CSOs, think tanks, or business chambers to use existing training programmes and adapt them for mission needs.