To date, research (and resulting programs and projects to strengthen oversight) have focused on larger countries in East Asia, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia, with little or no research being undertaken on parliamentary oversight in either small states or Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries. The result of this void is that parliamentary strengthening programs, which seek to improve development and reduce corruption by strengthening oversight in the MENA region and in smaller states, typically rely on practices and procedures developed in other regions and in larger countries, which have generally been proven to be non-transferable and ineffective. What works in larger countries has been shown not to be relevant in smaller states, and the unique socio-political characteristics of MENA countries are often ignored. The outcomes have been disappointing, with many of the MENA countries and small states performing poorly in such global indices as Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index and the Open Budget Survey.
This project examines the interaction between oversight and corruption in both small states/jurisdictions and in MENA countries, emphasizing what works and what does not, and applying the results in the development of regional and country-specific case studies of good practice. In so doing, it will help fill a significant void in global knowledge regarding parliamentary oversight and, in particular, contribute to enhanced development and reduced corruption.
(SSHRC Grant # 435-2018-0057)
Principal outputs
In progress
