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The Proxy Challenge: Why bespoke proxy indicators can help solve the anti-corruption measurement problem

Practitioners working in anti-corruption face perennial challenges in measuring changes in corruption levels and evaluating whether anti-corruption efforts are successful. These two challenges are linked but not inseparable. To make progress on the latter front, that is, evaluating whether anti-corruption efforts are having an impact, the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre and the UK Department for International Development are launching an exploration into the use of proxy indicators. Proxy indicators are alternatives to “direct” indicators that more directly measure the phenomenon under study but that may be hard to operationalize or require overly costly data collection. In the 2013 Proxy Challenge Competition, we invite academics and practitioners to present specific proposals for indicators that would be good proxy measures for anti-corruption results.

30 July 2013
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The Proxy Challenge: Why bespoke proxy indicators can help solve the anti-corruption measurement problem

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Mason OBE, P.; Johnsøn, J.; (2013) The Proxy Challenge: Why bespoke proxy indicators can help solve the anti-corruption measurement problem. Bergen: U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute (U4 Brief 2013:2)

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About the authors

Phil Mason OBE

Phil Mason OBE was senior anti-corruption adviser in DFID from 2000 until March 2019. He formally retired from the UK public service after 35 years, 31 of which were with ODA/DFID. He continues in the anti-corruption field in an independent capacity.

Jesper Johnsøn

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All views in this text are the author(s)’, and may differ from the U4 partner agencies’ policies.

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

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