Corruption in the public sector can have a detrimental effect on all ministries and departments including healthcare, transport, education, welfare, and environmental protection. This paper focuses on the behavioural side of addressing corruption: how can we motivate public officials to join us in effectively preventing and countering corruption? It suggests that to promote public sector effectiveness and integrity, governments of Pacific Island Countries should aim to understand and influence behavioural norms and intrinsically and extrinsically motivate public officials through rewards and consequences.

This publication was prepared by the United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project, a joint initiative by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported by the New Zealand Aid Programme.