Private Interest Politics

Silke PfeifferTransparency International

Global Forum V

South AfricaApril 2007

Risk Map

Shortcomings in the Political Party Funding Systems

Weaknesses in the control and prevention of conflicts of interest

Weakness of institutional channels for the participation of, and the interaction with interest groups

Lack of expertise and technical support of & for members of Parliament

Lack of access to information

Weaknesses in the systems and institutions responsible for economic control and regulation

Assessing the risks related to the undue influenceof private interests in the policy-making process(Results from two studies in Latin America)

Absence of basic rules on lobbying

Lack of integrated policies and culture of social corporate responsibility

Absence of independent mechanisms of social control  

Objectives of CRINIS Project

• BenchmarkingIdentifying weaknesses and strengths of PF systems by means of quantitative index, with respect to transparency and accountability in ordinary party and campaign activities.

• AdvocacyEngage with different stakeholders in order to promote necessary reforms in PF systems and/or implement and enforce norms already in place.

The “CRINIS” PROJECT Assessing Transparency & Accountability in Political Finance in Latin America

Index of transparency in each country

10 dimensions

evaluate

Dimensions & stages of transparency

1. Bookkeeping State and social control

2. Reporting to Oversight Agency 7. Prevention

3. Comprehensiveness of reporting 8. Sanctions

4. Depth of reporting 9. State oversight

5. Reliability of reporting 10. Civil society oversight

6. Public disclosure

Legal norms

Practices

The “CRINIS” PROJECT Assessing Transparency in Political Finance in Latin America

Data Sources:

• Evaluation of legislation and legal norms: official data(questionnaire to be completed by research teams with information from

analysis of current legislation)

• Analysis of the country context: non-official data (questionnaire to be completed by each team leader/ expert in the country, with

information obtained from actors involved in PF)

• Accountability practices: Survey with stakeholders (such as party accountants, MoPs, electoral judges and auditors, NGOs...): total of 40 questionnaires distributed among 6 areas of expertise

• Field tests on access to information by citizens: 6 tests undertaken by a group of citizens (volunteers) and by the research teams

The “CRINIS” PROJECT

Assessing Transparency in Political Finance in Latin America

The “CRINIS” PROJECT

Assessing Transparency in Political Finance in Latin America

                           Ordinary    Campaign    Campaign                                   Party       Party       Candidate    AVERAGE

                           Finance     Finance     Finance----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  bookkeeping                       7.0         4.0         4.0          5.0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.  reporting                         9.0         7.0         2.0          6.0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.  disclosing                        2.0         1.0         3.0          2.0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4.  comprehensiveness reporting       7.5         2.0         2.5          4.0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.  depth reporting                   3.0         7.0         8.0          6.0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6.  reliability reporting             2.0         4.0         4.5          3.5----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.  prevention                7.0         3.0         2.0          4.0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------8.  sanctions                         3.5         5.5         4.5          4.5

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------9.  state oversight institutions      7.0         6.0         2.0          5.0

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------10. civil society oversight           5.0         4.5         7.5          6.0

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------AVERAGE                               5.3         4.4         4.0            

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------TOTAL COUNTRY SCORE                                                        4.6

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CRINIS benchmarking

Example for country

The “CRINIS” PROJECT

Assessing Transparency in Political Finance in Latin America

CRINIS benchmarking

Preliminary results

CRINIS benchmarking (average results 6 countries in Latin America)

0,0 2,0 4,0 6,0 8,0 10,0

1. Bookkeeping

2.Reporting

3.Disclosure

4. Comprehensiveness of reporting

5. Depth of reporting

6.Reliability of reporting

7. Prevention

8. Sanctions

9. State oversight

10. Social oversight

PARTY (media)

CAMPAIGN (media)

CANDIDATE (media)