The Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia attaches great importance to the preventive function. The fight against corruption has to begin before corrupt behaviour actually occurs. Prevention is less costly and often more effective than repression. In this respect, the Office sets out to build a culture of integrity among public bodies and to put in place systems for preventing corrupt behaviour.
Building a culture of integrity in public bodies
The Office has the task of encouraging Catalan administrations to initiate strategies of institutional integrity and resistance to corruption in government departments over the medium and long term, with overall focus for each government level and across the public sector as a whole. It accordingly takes initiatives and coordinates efforts for the purpose of building a social, political and administrative environment that fosters success in the implementation of reforms. In this effort the Office contributes within the framework of preventive measures implemented by the various consultative and monitoring bodies that exist in Catalonia.
Gaining a deeper knowledge of corruption and its causes
In order to orientate its preventive and investigative work, the Office gathers data and draws up studies to allow identification of the various kinds of fraud in the public sector, the spheres in which they occur and situations conducive to their occurrence.
Strengthening and establishing systems for prevention
Within the proper spheres, the Anti-Fraud Office proposes the setting up or bolstering of systems to prevent, discourage and detect corrupt behaviour. This includes codes of conduct, rules concerning conflicts of interest, declarations of assets, reporting mechanisms and others.
It likewise promotes and cooperates actively to encourage public bodies, to designate people in charge of monitoring and to create committees that safeguard ethical values and the prevention of corruption.
It also provides advice to institutions and public servants in the face of doubts or complex situations.
Lending support for implementing anticorruption policies
The chief responsibility for preventing corruption lies with the authorities, managers and employees of each institution. The Anti-Fraud Office lends support to all bodies and public servants wishing to strengthen their corruption prevention and control systems.
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