Citizens Against Corruption (CAC) is a grant management programme implemented by PAC. It is supported by Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF), Washington D.C. CAC aims to fund initiatives by NGO and CSOs in South Asia that stimulate, capacitate and facilitate citizens to fight against corruption. PTF, in turn, sources its support from DFID’s Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF). As designed by PAC and PTF, three pillars of logic support and inform the programme:

1.      Community engagement and empowerment – CAC has throughout stressed the importance of project sustainability and the need for civic engagement and community ownership of project processes. Through this we hope to build lasting civic action movements against corruption which constantly pressure and work with the government to this end in order to create a non-corrupt and responsive system of service delivery. Through this approach, partners have been encouraged to use existing community-based organisational structures (such as SHGs) wherever possible, or to establish new coalitions of local organisations.

2.      Constructive engagement – Engaging meaningfully with the government has been a key feature of CAC programming. This involves developing links with interested and like-minded officials within government structures at all levels of public governance (panchayat, block, district, state, etc) and encouraging dialogue. This is intended to minimise conflict and to generate an internal institutional response from those public agencies seen to be active in corrupt practices.

3.      Peer learning – CAC aims to promote a learning environment among anti corruption stakeholders across the region. This implies that the activity base of CAC will be periodically reviewed by peers within the groups as well as by external resource persons through interactive fora such as discussion groups, workshops and a website.

These approaches have been pervasive in the design and delivery of CAC, guiding all operational aspects of programme management to date such as: concept selection; proposal development; and project monitoring. Transparency has been an underpinning principle in the delivery of these approaches: the utmost effort has been taken to develop and execute all technical processes in a transparent and objective manner – a value we believe is necessary in order to conduct anti-corruption work in a morally consistent manner. This has been carried out by developing comprehensive systems and formats which subject all concept papers and proposals to rigorous impartial review such that little room remains for unfair and non-meritorious project funding. Steps have also been taken to ensure transparency and credibility of programme partners through accreditation with Credibility Alliance (CA) – a national-level organisation aimed at improving transparency within the NGO sector through the development of standard minimum good governance norms and practices for NGOs. CAC partners, in their accreditation process, are required to periodically inform the public of their financial status and operational progress of their plans.

Upon receipt of 160 concept notes from the initial call for proposals, CAC has adopted a regional and needs-based approach to project selection, hence CAC has thus far approved 15 projects mainly in Orissa and Karnataka, with individual projects in Rajasthan, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Sri Lanka and planned immediate expansion into Nepal. A synopsis of partner projects is given below:

• Ayauskam, Nuapada District, Orissa - Ayauskam is a health-oriented NGO which is looking to reduce corruption in the delivery of National Rural Health Mission in 10 Panchayats in the field area through use of participatory planning, service delivery monitoring, social auditing, use of RTI, public hearings and advocacy.
• Adhar, Bolangir Distrist, Orissa - The proper implementation of NREGA and PDS in drought-prone regions such as Bolangir is essential to securing the livelihoods of India's most vulnerable sections. Adhar is a Bolangir-based NGO which aims to reduce corruption in the delivery of both essential schemes through awareness-raising, sensitisation of officials and wider sections, community monitoring of implementation and advocacy.
• Centre for Advocacy and Research, Bangalore, Karnataka - When a shortfall in nutrition occurs it is the women and daughters that are perhaps the most affected within the household. CFAR is hence working in urban slums, organising and mobilising women's groups towards reducing corruption primarily in PDS as well as other basic services available to them. Media engagement and advocacy is also a strong underpinning strategy to be used in this project.
• Consumer Unity and Trust Society, Jaipur, Rajasthan - CAC is supporting CUTS in a holistic and broad-ranging effort to reduce corruption in the Rajasthan State Rural Development Department through policy engagement and greater civic engagement in service delivery.
• Jananeethi, Thrissur, Kerala - The illegal conduction of unethical drug trials in India is widespread and shocking. Through the connivance of pharmaceutical companies, doctors and medical colleges, experimental drugs are given to unsuspecting and unknowing patients in the name of medical research, often with harmful consequences for health and most definitely in violation of national and international drug trial standards. In a truly significant project, Jananeethi is using judicial activism and legal mechanisms to act against corruption in this sphere in hope of curbing future occurence of such malpractices through energising and monitoring the use of due procedure in drug trial conduction.
• Nava Jeevana Mahila Okkoota, Raichur District, Karnataka - NJMO is a federation of dalith women's community-based organisations in Raichur District of Northern Karnataka, where the dry terrain has contributed to a particularly low standard of living. In this context NJMO is using CAC's support to fight corruption in the delivery of rights such as the NREGA as well as other services through use of RTI, social audits and energising of grievance redressal mechanisms.
• Paraspara Trust, Bangalore, Karnataka - Paraspara Trust is using CAC support to reduce corruption in delivery of PDS in Bangalore's urban slums through the creation of Monitoring Committees for each PDS outlet, citizen campaigns and constructive engagement with decisionmakers.
• People's Rural Education Movement, Gajapati District, Orissa - PREM is working with CAC support to reduce corruption in NREGA, PDS and in the application process of Forest Rights Act in the mainly tribal area ofNuagada Block in Gajapati District . Using it's extremely strong presence amongst the communities and officials in the project area, PREM will conduct its intervention through monitoring; capacity building; lobbying; and constructive engagement.
• Rural Litigation and Enlightenment Kendra, Uttarkashi and Tehri Districts, Uttarakhand - RLEK is tackling corruption in NREGA in the most backward and remote districts of Uttarakhand where malnourishment and unemployment are rife. This is proposed to be done through the formation of vigilance committees, conduction of social audits and creation of a grievance redressal mechanism for any conflicts and complaints brought to light. Information on intended works and payments will be obtained through RTI.
• Sambandh, Jashipur Block, Mayurbhanj District, Orissa – In an innovative project, Sambandh is building on existing infrastructure to create a Rural Call Centre which will register people’s corruption complaints and systematically compile through use of RTI data on NREGA works on a periodic basis in order to determine discrepancy between planned works and their implementation. Corruption incidents will then be put to elected representatives and responsible local officials through discussion in the local Social Watch Group meetings.
• Suraksha, Gumma Block, Gajapati District, Orissa – With CAC’s support, Suraksha aims to reduce corruption in delivery of NREGA in the underdeveloped and predominantly scheduled-tribe area of Gumma Block, Orissa through awareness-raising campaigns, capacity building of officials and community members, formation of vigilance committees, conduct of social audits of NREGA and advocacy.
• Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, Mysore District, Karnakata – Raising awareness, building their capacity and organising youth in an effective manner can be an important tool for long term social advancement. In this vein, SVYM are working with youth volunteers and using RTI to monitor and reduce corruption in the delivery of PDS in rural Mysore District, Karnataka. An information platform – ‘Mahiti Vedike’ – will also be formed, facilitating citizen’s applications under RTI.
• Visionaries of Creative Action for Liberation & Progress, Mohana Block, Gajapati District, Orissa – Working with Scheduled Caste communities in a politically insecure environment, VICALP is working to reduce corruption in the NREGA through a strong, block-level, community movement ‘Ekta Abhiyan’. The movement aims to stimulate the participatory governance structures at the Panchayat level into proper functioning and using RTI will monitor the implementation of NREGA. Constructive engagement is key in such a vulnerable environment and hence capacity building and constant dialoguing with official structures is a key component of the project.
• Youth for Social Development, Berhampur City, Orissa – Following on from its Phase 1 support in which an Urban Corruption Survey was conducted, YSD has prioritised three urban services of priority – Land Record and Administration; Drinking Water Services; and Public Distribution System in which to act to reduce corruption. Action will be taken through awareness raising, formation of citizen corruption monitoring groups and intensive constructive engagement with government including training programmes, public hearings and consultations.
• Transparency International, Sri Lanka, Badulla District, Sri Lanka – Working in the second poorest district of Sri Lanka, TI-SL aims to create a model for reducing corruption in local government through use of the Citizen Report Card and building capacity of CSOs and government to build participatory governance structures, allowing for more transparent and inclusive decisionmaking locally.

 In Year 2 of the programme, on top of monitoring of existing projects, we are primarily engaged in programme consolidation. In this regard we will be hosting peer review and monitoring events for CAC partners to encourage lesson learning as well as wider outreach to media, CSOs and high-level policymakers in order to deepen programme impact. In particular we will hold high-level workshops on reducing corruption in PDS and NREGA since most projects focus on these schemes. A programme newsletter and operations manual is currently under preparation and will be disseminated in the interest of keeping interested stakeholders of programme progress and the procedures by which CAC functions.

Though we are unable to support any more projects financially within the current resource frame, we warmly welcome organisations and actors who are willing to be involved in taking the cause further.If you have any queries or comments on CAC please contact MS Raviprakash for further information.

The Citizens Against Corruption programme in PAC is run by the following team: 

MS Raviprakash, Programme Manager

J. Mary Pushpa Kanthi, Executive Assistant