Project

Curiamo la corruzione (We Treat Corruption)

Chapter: Italy | Project range: National | Year: 2016

Chapter details

About the chapter:
Transparency International Italy was founded in 1996 by members of different social and professional backgrounds (entrepreneurs, academics, civil servants and private individuals). It addresses all individuals, organizations, institutions, private and public associations that share its vision and pursue the objectives of the TI movement and of the Italian chapter.

CPI Score: 52

CPI Rank: 53


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Summary

Information systems

Regulation

Services

Partners

Global Partners:
Novartis
National Partners:
CENSIS Healthcare association or trade body ISPE RISSC University, academia or research institution

Theory of Change

Policy & Insititutional Change
Policy Adoption & Amendment
Change Type:

Awareness

Outreach

Aim

The aim of the project was to aim to increase awareness of corruption in the healthcare sector, to train the staff of healthcare and hospital companies, and to implement and test innovative tools and specific organisational models.

Landscape

There has been widespread recognition within Italy of the existence of corruption in the healthcare sector, for example only 15% of all Italian citizens perceived the sector as being ‘clean’ and the Italian Government defined health as “one of the sectors most exposed to the risk of corruption for financial reasons.” However, it was deemed impossible to calculate how widespread the corruption is, what damage it causes and which sectors are most at risk.

Activities

  1. Analysis of the sector and identification of the greatest risks of corruption, examining three different aspects: the phenomenon of corruption in contracts, the economic efficiency of healthcare and hospital companies, the perception of operators in the sector.
    Research & analysis
  2. Training for the staff of health and hospital companies.
    Awareness raisingImplementation of new policy & practice
  3. Preparation and adoption of recommendations by competent institutions to improve the levels of transparency, integrity, responsibility and ethics in the health sector.
    Implementation of new policy & practiceTrial & implement new approach
  4. Development and adoption of guidelines for anti-corruption plans in hospital companies.
    Implementation of new policy & practicePublication of report & guidance
  5. Promotion of an Italian ‘Sunshine Act’ to increase transparency in the sector.
    Advocacy

Achievements

  1. Development of an whistle-blowing online platform for 11 Local Health Authorities
  2. Annual public events dedicated to anti-corruption in the healthcare sector were organised to raise awareness of the topic
  3. Local communities and organisations were successfully engaged in anti-corruption activities in the healthcare sector sector.
  4. The ‘Sunshine Act’ was approved by the Italian government.

Future Plans

TI-Italy is launching the first Italian Healthcare Integrity Forum, a multi-stakeholder initiative where local health authorities, public institutions, CSOs and experts will collaborate in order to develop policies and practices against corruption.

Lessons Learnt

  1. Sustainability is key when working in such a complex environment. Therefore, it is important when planning finances to strategize on an activity basis, as opposed to a project basis.
  2. Projects which involve the adoption of IT tools can be complex. In this instance, it transpired that different LHAs had different IT infrastructures and they usually externalize their IT processes.