Towards generalized process patterns for detecting corruption within the government using open data

Abstract

Governments are seeking for new ways to fight corruption within their own administration. The opening of data has the potential to involve citizens in detecting corruption by providing them the ability to view and analyze data about what is happening within the government. However, how open data can be used to detect corruption is not clear. In this paper general patterns for detecting corruption using open data are derived. The patterns are derived by analyzing a case study of e-Procurement at the local government level in Indonesia. E-procurement activities and the corresponding audit activities were analyzed. The following patterns for detecting corruption using open data were derived; 1) storing and opening documents, 2) cross-data comparison, 3) four-eyes-principles, 4) segregation of duties, 5) authorization, and 6) publishing application controls. Data about the activities and structure of the administrative processes should be opened to allow the public to scrutinize whether the process has implemented preventive and detective controls following the process patterns derived in this research. Furthermore, data should be opened about all phases of the administrative processes to enable the involvement of the public and use their 'many eyes' for detecting corruption.