Corruption prevention
Aotearoa New Zealand has a strong reputation for integrity and open and transparent government. Public service values are well established and most public sector employees act with honesty and professionalism every day.
But no country is free from corruption risks. Corruption does not need to be widespread to cause harm. A single incident can damage public confidence, weaken trust in government institutions and affect New Zealand’s international reputation as a safe place to do business.
Prevention approaches must continually adapt
Corruption takes hold gradually, often through small compromises, unchecked conflicts and relationships that blur professional boundaries. The most effective response is preventive: building systems, culture and everyday practices that make corrupt conduct harder to initiate, easier to detect and less likely to be tolerated.
Recognising how corruption appears in day-to-day work is essential, as some forms are obvious, while others are subtle, and many escalate over time. Organisations can considerably reduce and manage their risk of corruption by:
- understanding why corruption occurs and how individuals can be drawn into it
- recognising common corruption risks and behaviours
- assessing where corruption is most likely to occur in their organisation
- putting in place effective checks and balances
- monitoring, reporting and continuously improving their approach.
The Corruption prevention guide: Managing corruption risk [PDF, 1.3 MB] in the New Zealand public sector explains what corruption is, outlines common corruption risks in plain language, highlights the domains where those risks are most likely to arise, and offers practical steps to help protect your organisation, your colleagues and the communities we serve.
No system eliminates corruption entirely. However, organisations that invest in prevention are better placed to protect public resources, maintain public trust and respond effectively when problems do arise.
Find out more about corruption
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Corruption diverts public resources, distorts decision making, undermines trust in institutions and weakens outcomes across economic, social and regulatory systems
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Corruption and fraud rarely happen by accident. Pressure, opportunity and rationalisation, as well as skilled manipulators, can make corruption hard to detect
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Corruption is a group of behaviours that can be subtle, obvious or escalate over time
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Any organisation can be impacted by corruption, but certain key operational areas carry higher risk
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Effective corruption prevention requires capability, prevention, detection and response controls that are focused on priority domains
Download the guide
Corruption prevention guide: Managing corruption risk in the New Zealand public sector
More information
- See what tailored services the Counter Fraud Centre offers to help safeguard public funds and uphold trust in government institutions
- Complete our online learning modules to strengthen your fraud awareness
- Learn the red flags of mandate fraud, like grooming or manipulation, urgent change requests and emails from unknown senders
- Register for counter fraud workshops and webinars, free for public sector employees