Regina Gromova

May 24-25, 2012

Corruption in state and commercial Corruption in state and commercial structures in Russia: Application of structures in Russia: Application of

qualitative approach to study the qualitative approach to study the problem problem

2

Survey background

Corruption is commonly believed to be a inherent feature of Russian economy and political system

The problem is not unique however the scale of “informal relations” in Russia is obviously very high and the consequences are not fully clear

The situation is going out of control…

Survey objective: to get more information on the phenomenon and to find out a way to bring it under control

3

Survey design

The research was initiated by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public AdministrationFieldwork: August-November 2011

4

Methodological problems

1. Subject: What do you mean when say “corruption”?

Diversity of meanings and levels =>> diversity of attitudes

5

Methodological problems

2. Stereotypes, stable representations of corruption phenomenon (often inconsistent and contradictory)

Personal experience is often suppressed by what is believed to be common knowledge

Corruption is everywhere

Corruption is a part of Russian national consciousness

Corruption is an evil, it should be/ will be banished (one day)

It’s hopeless to withstand corruption

6

Methodological problems

3. Sensitive topic: Could you please tell me about illegal relations/ practices you have participated recently?

A part of corruption experience is under the boundary and may be understood only from allusions/ half words…

7

Suggested approach

1. Narrative discourse instead of asking direct questions

2. Speaking respondent’s language

3. Recruiting via persons trusted by respondents

4. Variation of interviewing tactic:• Face-to-face, or• 2 moderators with different roles

(“academic” vs. “civic”), or• Involvement of a person who recommends

respondent

8

Results

9

Results: Boundaries of corruption

CORRUPTION

(highly negative)

CORRUPTION

(highly negative)

CORRUPTION(neutral to negative attitude)

CORRUPTION(neutral to negative attitude)

CORRUPTION

(neutral to negative attitude)

CORRUPTION

(neutral to negative attitude)

“SUPPORT”, ASSISTANCE

(neutral to positive)

“SUPPORT”, ASSISTANCE

(neutral to positive)

SOLVING PROBLEMS(neutral to negative)

SOLVING PROBLEMS(neutral to negative)

10

Results: Focus on state

11

Results: Focus on state

Corruption is based on mass support… the majority of people do not want any real fight against corruption. What they actually want is as follows: to see most well-

known “thefts” from the Government hung at the Red Square in Moscow. But at the same time they themselves should still be able to pay informally for some shady services, buy some benefits they are not supposed to have, give bribes for traffic

rules breaks…

I mean that top level “champions” of corruption are to be severely punished because corruption is evil, but please do not take away my day-to-day corruption tools, the

life is much easier and convenient when you have this.

It’s a kind of mass consciousness split, schizophrenia…

(expert interview, journalist)

Results: Boundaries of corruption

It’s system corruption, what we have in our country. No clear boundaries between various types of corruption. Every type of corruption feeds other types, and they

flourish…

In Russia it’s impossible to say what is the dominant form of corruption – all forms are widespread and united in a total system. This makes our situation unique.

(expert interview, non-state foundation)

12

Results: Ambivalent vision

“There is no corruption in Russia. Nowadays corruption means not to take bribes” (expert interview, high level state official)

Is it a norm? Direct answer: No Narrative discourse: Yes (enforced norm)

Is it organized vertically? Direct answer: Yes Narrative discourse: No evidence of hierarchy/

formal organization, evidence of other basic principles

13

Is it something that can/ must be withdrawn/ restricted? Direct answer: Yes Narrative discourse: No way to withstand this total

system

14

Results: Corruption as a “norm”

15

Results: Corruption as a “norm”

Risks of participation:- Legal

- Financial

- Reputational

Risks of non-participation:- Legal- Financial- Reputational

Results: Corruption as a “norm”

16

When everybody uses informal relations and everybody on every side wins of this, if you deny to participate – well, you are looser and outsider

(interview with a business owner)

Insiders’ point of view: not an evil, it’s life

It’s the attitude inherited from the Soviet past: what belongs to the state is nobody’s property… They sincerely consider budget financial flows as “their”

money, or even not money but something that may be turned into money if you do everything accurately… otherwise this funds are simply lost and nobody

gains… people mostly do not care about budget money, although many are irritated that somebody gets wealth this way

(expert interview, consultant, former top level state official )

No crime when nobody suffers

It’s important to know what is expected from you... when you are reporting everything should be in line with regulations and directives, that is what will be

checked first

(expert interview, department head in the ministry)

Just follow the rules

Results: Hierarchy of corruption

Common belief: corruption is so strong because it’s built on “vertical hierarchy”: lower level participants collect money and transfer (larger) part to higher levels Higher level participants defend their subordinates Higher level participants are “not involved”

personally so it’s impossible to accuse them

17

Results: Hierarchy of corruption

But in reality most typical form disrupt hierarchy: “Chains” of direct financial flows are mostly local

and short “Corruption contract”: Tacit approval of corruption

at lower levels by higher level ->>> higher levels get freedom for higher scale corruption

18

It’s political corruption, certain beneficial positions are sold and prices are well-known… this is an

investment that is to be returned, and those who sell clearly understand this… so it will be like breaking

the contract if they punish some of their subordinates accused in corruption… If they do so they will loose trust, it will be against the system.

(expert interview, consultant, former high level official in the Ministry of Economic Development

Results: Way out

Who will do this What should/may be done

19

Results: Way out

R: I do not understand why do we need all these foundations…. Everybody wants to get exclusive rights to fight with corruption and to make political career using this

anti-corruption fighter image…

M: But it seems they do some real things, what do you think?

R: If they want to do real things they should come and support us, we have this anti-corruption committee and resources, they could support us…

(expert interview, assistant to a Parliament deputy, member of the Committee for anti-corruption initiatives)

Government control at every level, 4 eyes principle Everyone believes that Government must fight with

corruption Few people outside Government structures believe

that Government has any goodwill to do this…

20

We have very few people, we can’t check every tender, sometimes it’s impossible to detect what’s a trick if you are not an expert… although they are all tricky

(expert interview, police investigator, anti-corruption department)

Results: Way out

M: And what are the results? Could you tell me about any successful cases?

R: Yes, a lot of, more than 10 during the last month. Just recently our application led to the cancellation of a

shady tender for construction works… here we saved over 100 million rubles

M: And what’s happened to this money then?

R: Do not know, we do not have this information

(expert interview, non-government foundation)

Public control over state purchase contracts Organizations like RosPil and

Transparency International got wide public support

Mechanism: monitoring of open tenders for state purchase contracts and sending queries to state control bodies in case there is something suspicious

21

Results: Way out

The majority of our people are not aware about their rights, they do not know about the laws that allow them to get information….

Very few people use this currently, and they belong to one of the following three categories: public activists, I mean like representatives of some formally organized groups or just informal leaders of spontaneously originated groups with focus on some particular problem , then experts who do it professionally,

and the third category are victims (of corruption)

(expert interview, non-government foundation)

Adjustment of legislation But…

22

Results: Way out

It was a real fight, this story with a company responsible for municipal services in our household… We understood that we were regularly paying for something

they did not do – some repair works or optimizations. First some people denied to pay and had problems as nonpayers, they threaten these people, it was a severe pressing… and then we understood it’s our common problem – these

people are shameless robbers, and they feel themselves secure and sheltered by municipal authorities. And we started an organized campaign – all of us denied

to pay, we wrote letters to everywhere… finally we managed to change a subcontractor and have a verdict that their financial requirement were

illegitimate

(interview with a private person)

Local initiatives

23

Most people around do not approve corruption and when possible choose normal, civilized way to solve their problems… it’s not because they do not like to spend money on bribes – it’s better to feel that you are normal and deal with

normal human beings all around you

(interview with a private person)

Contacts

24

Regina GromovaManaging DirectorE-mail: regina.gromova@mittel-mgu.ru Skype: regina.gromovaTel. : +7 495 792 5418, ext. 22Mob: +7 910 401 4497