Corruption Matrix

Trying to place corruption in perspective as one tries to find a wholesome approach to understand and avoid practices that engender corruption in not always straight forward. We have to carefully look at all the areas of common organisation and public administration that may contribute to lax organisation.


To organise against corruption, we must allow our attention to cover each area of public organisation that intend to affect the overall effort towards human well-being, which is the basic reason for common organisation.

To organise against corruption, we must allow our attention to cover each area of public organisation that intend to affect the overall effort towards human well-being, which is the basic reason for common organisation.

Once the grey areas of organisation - (where the ball usually drops - between major organisations and "processors" of aid and development programmes) are spelled out, watched and kept honest, then it is hoped that we can stand to expect and generate the public confidence in overall management that we really need.

Thereafter, we can restore the luxury of national choices, flowing from a confident and practised "Decision Making Criteria" - towards nation building and human well-being and we could then hope to be really certain - which of our choices are in the right direction and in order to effect which kinds of outcomes.

Corruption Matrix

There are many Enabling Environments of Corruption. The table below lays out some of the ordinary situations in organisation and administration where what may be minor details can begin to pile up and fester and eventually create and insurmountable atmosphere of corruption. The picture is not complete, but it can help when some elements can become visible and eventually plotted on a matrix table.

Volunteer Spirit  -  Origins and Engendering of Excuse Environments

Choice Politics and Flaws in Decision Making Criteria

Delegation Transfer of and  Relegation of Responsibility

Empire Building and Isolation

Lack of Education and Skills Training

Survival and Performance Vices and Devices

Criminal Intent

The Volunteer spirit is also the origin and source that can engender the excuse and "forgiveness" environment which is actually contrary to the theory of accountability and actual punishment of crimes through established systems of trial and prosecution. Public Volunteer Spirit which although it can enable communities to help themselves does also lead to abuse of this very spirit. The Volunteer Spirit is a natural part of our survival mechanisms and has enabled communities to survive without demanding government responsibility or support and guarantee for our traditional systems of survival. This ever readiness to help ourselves in times of disaster or need, makes us more or less self sustaining but seems to also make our government lazy in service delivery and lets government off the hook for its neglect of its own responsibilities to its people as citizens. Rural organisation still accounts for most of the social welfare of a majority of Papua New Guinea's citizens. But the well paid and higher earning Government has an obligation to carry more of the load of our social responsibility. Causes tolerance which is a very important feature of Melanesian Culture, but one which also prevents many individuals and communities from voicing their displeasure about corruption and mismanagement. The Volunteer Spirit is also abused by fraudsters and opportunists. Can lead to Nepotism and Favouritism

Where members and sectors of the public are made to feel that public choices are not inclusive Where common consensus is lacking of transparent process Where the consequences of public Choice is not acceptable across a wide area of society Where the common participation in Public Choice is not guaranteed or taken into consideration when designing Decision Making Criteria Prejudice and Discrimination which can cause marginalisation and voids equal participation in Decision Making. Where other stakeholders and parties fear Nepotism, Favouritism and Exclusivity. Can cause the unfair sharing of a Nations Wealth. Can contribute to bad or negligent decisions if checks and balances and other fail safe mechanism are not followed or ignored. Gender Bias, which in Capitalist Patriarchal and Male Chauvinistic Societies leads men to believe that it is proper and correct to leave women, gays and homosexuals out of important decision making roles.

Delegation is a great facility of organisation but has several flaws: Transfers responsibility and accountability to third parties Introduces new contigencies into planning and financing, which without attention become collecting grounds for the dust of inactivity. Delegated Responsibility and Delegated Committees can create room for unaccountability, overspending, embezzlement and unexplained delays. Particularly, when a project or project line has no careful policing mechanism - or falls into an area of "inpolicibility" between departments and agencies, then this leads to a lax in organisational production tension.

Creates: 1. Flawed lines of communication; 2. Lack of Programme overview; 3. Loss of priority directions; 4. Duplication of activities and efforts; 5. Cross purposes; 6. Lack of agreement about modes of implementation; 7. Lack of application to "agreed priorities"; 8. Difficulties in monitoring and measuring expected outcomes; 9. Over-flooding of reporting information - creating more work load and lack of attention to fine details thus contributing to lack of transparency; 10. Reduces public responsibility and accountability for programmes and projects; 11. A Blame Game Culture soon emerges from the overall lack of achievement. 12. Wastage and Uneccessary Loss of Resources.

Where Organisational Skills are weak or absent. Where other trade skills and their their discipline do not inform organisation and management. Where management itself is weak in that it may actually lack an understanding of the project at hand, and is unable to organise for the various parts and steps constituting the execution of tasks that lead to a project's achievement. Lack of Critical Appraisal from learned and skilled people and their input into project establishment, execution and completion. Lack of Education and Training also leads to a lack of recognition of standards, setting of and measurement of conventions, benchmarks and standards of achievement. Agreements and Conventions on Standards, are important indicators of work effort and ethics. When standards drop, corruption rises. Peter's Principle. Gender bias which is  also a form of the Peter's Principle. Lack of Education and Training can lead to a lack of versatility with available systems of organisation and administration. Lack of Education and Training can cause a lack of proper reading of laws and regulations and the proper application according to the letters of the laws, including constitutional requirements. Lack of self education and retraining environments, leading to stagnancy in a workforce.

"...When someone cannot earn enough to meet the cost of goods and services, he/she may resort to other means...." - Samson Metofa  Financial Obligations and Economic Pressures. Income, Reward and Remuneration and other Performance Pressure Factors that can lead to corrupt and criminal choices. Unrealistic lifestyle Choices and living beyond ones means. Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling Culture.

Abuse of power, position and priviledge Theft Embezzlement Fraud Gross Negligence Abuse of office which involves: Nepotism, Favouritism and lack of due process and procedure.