Qualitative Versus Quantitative Corruption Measurement: The National Integrity Study Approach

Much attention is given to the measurement of corruption, both between countries and across time. In part this is necessary to determine which countries face what types and levels of corruption – and consequential reforms – as well as the monitoring the success or otherwise of those reforms. What measures are most suited to the identification of the extent of, or seriousness of, country corruption – or of improvement – are very much a subject of continuing debate, not in the least because of the methodology, context and relevance of some of the indicators. This paper looks at the use of the National Integrity System (NIS), a holistic assessment framework, to assess what it says about corruption and then to consider its value as a measurement tool against other types of indicators.