“The current insistence on awarding construction (works) contracts solely on the basis of price is ineffectual in dealing with corruption . . . and may even be encouraging it.” This is one of the key conclusions in a recently published book chapter by EAP’s Senior Research & Policy Adviser, Jill Wells.

The chapter, entitled ‘Corruption and collusion in construction: a view from the industry’, appears in Corruption, Grabbing and Development: Real world challenges which is edited by Tina Søreide and Aled Williams. The book was launched recently in Oslo, in the presence of the Norwegian Secretary of State for International Development.

Through sixteen case studies, the book explores how ‘grabbing’ (defined to mean the violation of norms of fair behaviour) hinders development at the sector level and in state administration. There are case studies of grabbing in a range of sectors, including construction, extractives, ports, utilities, finance, health, pharmaceuticals and education.