Integrity Commission Invites More Entities to Participate in Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Training

The Integrity Commission wants more organisations and public bodies to participate in its anti-corruption training programmes.

One of the mandates of the Commission is to adopt and strengthen measures to educate the public on matters relating to corruption.

“So, we do have a comprehensive anticorruption and good governance training programme and for those who have not yet benefited from the intervention, we are asking that they reach out to us. We are prepared to work out a schedule for us to work together,” said Director, Corruption Prevention, Stakeholder Engagement and Anti-Corruption Strategy, Integrity Commission, Ryan Evans.

He was speaking at a National Consultation on the National Anticorruption Strategy held recently at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston.

About 80 persons, representing a wide cross-section of public bodies and civil society groups, participated in the workshop aimed at developing a National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

Mr. Evans said that public education has been a major focus for the Commission over the last three-plus years.

He noted that the Commission initiated its anti-corruption and good governance training programme in November 2020 beginning with a 12-module workshop for Cabinet members, which focuses on the problem of corruption, a definition of corruption and the types and forms of corruption.

“We then look at the response to corruption, the anti-corruption framework, what has been the institutional response, the legislative response, the administrative response to tackling corruption,” he informed, adding that discussions also focus on the principles of good governance and anticorruption reform.

Mr. Evans said the Commission also offers specialist anti-corruption and good governance training, which deals with matters relating to public procurement, how to file a statutory declaration, the Protected Disclosure Act as well as reporting, investigating and prosecuting allegations of corruption.

Several public-sector bodies have participated in training conducted by the Commission, and Mr. Evans said the support from these entities for the public education programme is appreciated.

He noted that the Commission has also engaged civil society as well as private-sector associations.