Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project - Guide to conducting corruption risk assessments in a wildlife law enforcement context

Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project

Guide to conducting corruption risk assessments in a wildlife law enforcement context

This guide is a high-level “how-to” for carrying out a corruption risk assessment in a conservation/environmental law enforcement context, using the Map, Characterize, Assess, and Recommend (MCAR) approach designed by the Basel Institute on Governance.

  • The first section covers planning: the resources, timing, and other considerations for setting up the assessment.
  • The second section lays out each step of the assessment, with tips, basic instructions, and implementation recommendations for each stage.
  • Finally, the annexes provide sample supporting materials, including a simplified process diagram and map, a sample questionnaire for interviews, and a basic confidentiality agreement.

It was developed under the Basel Institute’s Green Corruption programme as part of a wider research collaboration between the Basel Institute and Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project consortium.

About the TNRC project

The TNRC project seeks to improve biodiversity conservation outcomes by helping practitioners to address the threats posed by corruption to wildlife, fisheries and forests. TNRC harnesses existing knowledge, generates new evidence, and supports innovative policy and practice for more effective anti-corruption programming on the ground.

A USAID-funded project, TNRC is implemented by a consortium of leading organizations in anti-corruption, natural resource management, and conservation: World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre at the Chr. Michelsen Institute, TRAFFIC, and the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at George Mason University.

Published

05/2023 (2 years ago)

Document

Related publications

Report

Corruption risks in the forestry sector in Ukraine

2025 | National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) of Ukraine

corruption risksforestrytransparencytimber trafficking

Working paper

Working Paper 53: Good governance and the just transition: Implications for renewable energy companies

2024 | Basel Institute on Governance

Maja de Vibe, Mark Robinson

Guidelines

Guías de orientación práctica: las ciencias del comportamiento en esfuerzos de conservación

2024 |

Claudia Baez Camargo

Guidelines

Designing social norms and behavior change interventions: Guidance resources for conservation practitioners

2024 |

Claudia Baez Camargo

Working paper

(Forthcoming) Working Paper 50: Seedlings of hope: Addressing corruption linked to crimes that impact the environment in line with UNCAC Resolution 8/12

2023 | Basel Institute on Governance

Sophie Lemaître

Working paper

(Forthcoming) Working Paper 49: Dirty deals – Case studies on corruption in waste management and trade

2023 | Basel Institute on Governance

Nancy Isarin, Claudia Baez Camargo, Amanda Cabrejo
waste managementillegal waste tradeBasel Convention

Guidelines

Translating political economy insights into conservation practice: a six-step guide

2023 | Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project

Micol Martini, Saba Kassa

Guidelines

Conflict of interest guidelines for Indonesian public institutions (Pedoman tentang Konflik Kepentingan)

2023 |

Niels Wohlwend, Lakso Anindito, Justin Snyder

Research case study

Research case study 4: Deconstructing a criminal network involved in illegal wildlife trade between East Africa and Southeast Asia

2023 | Basel Institute on Governance

Jacopo Costa
social network analysisnetwork ethnographyillegal wildlife tradeinformal governanceEast AfricaSoutheast Asia

Guidelines

Guide to strengthening internal controls to prevent corruption in illegal wildlife trade enforcement

2023 | Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project

Rebecca Batts
internal controls

Article

Guide to conducting corruption risk assessments in a wildlife law enforcement context

2023 | Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project

corruption risk assessment

Working paper

How corruption threatens the forests of Ukraine: Typology and case studies on corruption and illegal logging.

2023 | Basel Institute on Governance

Yehor Hrynyk, Andrii Biletskyi, Amanda Cabrejo

Article

Internal controls and illegal wildlife trade: A systemic approach to corruption prevention and law enforcement integrity

2023 | Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project

Rebecca Batts

Article

Law enforcement, criminal justice and natural resource corruption - a TNRC guide

2022 | Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project

law enforcementcriminal justice systemconservationnatural resource corruptionenvironmental corruption

How political economy analysis can support corruption risk assessments to strengthen law enforcement against wildlife crimes

2022 | Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project

Saba Kassa, Jacopo Costa, Cosimo Stahl, Claudia Baez Camargo

Report

Basel Gold Day II: Recycled Gold – From awareness to collective action on recycled gold and artisanal mining

2022 | Office Pieth; Precious Metals Impact Forum

gold laundering

Article

Illicit financial flows and natural resource corruption - a TNRC guide

2022 | Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project

illicit financial flowsconservationfollow the moneynatural resource corruptionenvironmental corruption

Policy brief

Policy Brief 10: Using anti-money laundering frameworks to fight illegal wildlife trade in Uganda

2022 | Basel Institute on Governance

Tom Walugembe
illegal wildlife tradeAnti-money launderinglaw enforcementfinancial investigationsEast Africawildlife crimeprosecution

Article, Commissioned study

Working Paper 39: Behavioural drivers of corruption facilitating illegal wildlife trade – Problem analysis and state of the field review

2022 | Basel Institute on Governance; TRAFFIC

Claudia Baez Camargo, Gayle Burgess
natural resource managementillegal wildlife tradesocial normsbehavioural insights

Article, Commissioned study

Where are the weakest links in the illegal wildlife trade enforcement chain? Lessons from corruption risk assessments with agencies in three countries

2022 | Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project

Manuel Medina, Juhani Grossmann, Taradhinta Suryandari, Monica Guy
corruption risk assessmentillegal wildlife tradewildlife crimelaw enforcementcorruption risk management