Office of Institutional Integrity Annual Report 2008

Date
Jan 2009
In 2008, the Office of Institutional Integrity (OII) entered its fifth year of operation. OII is an independent unit of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB or Bank Group). During 2008 OII¿s responsibilities for supporting internal integrity efforts have diminished. In 2007, the Bank created an internal Ethics Office and hired an Ethics Officer. OII¿s externally-focused efforts have increased. In the past year, the Office responded to an ever-growing number of inquiries and completed 150 investigations. This was the second year in which the Bank Group made this list public. Disclosing sanctions is one of the mechanisms that reinforces the Bank Group¿s message that it will deal severely with those responsible for the misuse of funds and failure to comply with its anti-corruption policies. Additionally, OII improved the efficiency and effectiveness of its use of human, technological and knowledge-based resources in its investigative processes. In 2008, there was also significant progress in the area of prevention. OII continued to support the Institutional Capacity of State Division. Particular attention was directed to identifying and implementing initiatives under the Anti-corruption Activities Trust Fund (AAF).