Breaking Through Political Barriers: Towards a New Empowerment Agenda for Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs)

Despite their worldwide proliferation, anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) have often failed to meet expectations because of political obstructions. This paper suggests that future empowerment efforts for ACAs should go beyond the traditional institutionalist paradigm prevalent in the international com- munity of ACA proponents and instead focus on the political entrepreneur- ship aspect. This paper outlines measures for upskilling ACA leaders in reputational management to enable them to navigate the challenges of the political environment better. Additionally, it proposes the creation of better systems, such as benchmarking league tables for ACAs’ performance, to pro- duce more effective pressure on political actors as well as uncommitted ACA leaders. It is suggested that systems could be developed by international ‘pro-ACA’ stakeholders for early identification of reform allies within domes- tic governments and public administration who would support the capacita- tion of local ACAs. On a broader point, this paper argues that professional communities working on the future empowerment of ACAs should broaden their disciplinary lenses and tap more into insights and frameworks from the fields of public management, public administration, and regulatory govern- ance, going beyond the traditional professional angle of law enforcement and criminal justice.