Integrity agencies as one pillar of integrity and good governance

Abstract

This article argues the case that integrity in public agencies is best served through the development of a system of arrangements involving laws, policies, protocols and institutional design that, in total, operate in harmony to generate a culture of integrity. A critical element in this system of integrity is the formation and operation of specialised integrity agencies, which work with parliaments and civil services to create a means through which public concerns about integrity can be independently examined and reported. The article recognises the balancing that is required between agency autonomy and parliamentary control and warns that arrangements must be capable of dealing with the complexities that follow from these specialised integrity agencies operating in a dynamic environment.