fosco frongiaSenior project manager| ENTE PATRIMONIALE CHIESA GESU' CRISTO SUGFino Mornasco, Como, Italy
Corruption is a scourge that unfortunately affects many human activities.
Do you think it could in any way interfere in the practice of project management?
If your answer is not please indicate why.
In the case you think that it could affect projects, please indicate which elements are, in your opinion, the most triggers.
many thanks in advance Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Of course corruption can affect the PM Practice. You see corruption mostly in the area of Contracts and Procurement.
Corruption is always there so every company should have an Anti-Corruption and Ethics Policy.
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1 reply by fosco frongia
Jan 14, 2016 6:05 PM
fosco frongia
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I agree with you Rami, Contracts and Procurement are the areas with more "monetary" interest, for this reason the most important projects (from the budget point of view) are the most affected by corruption attempts.
I agree with other par of your comment, it is needed an Anti-corruption and Ethics Policy.
Considering my the relationship between corruption and "monetary interest" I think that these policies are strongly needed in these kind of projects.
In your experience are there essential elements which distinguish a "big" project respect a "little" one in these policies application?
Saving Changes...
Adil MuhammadLead Business Analyst/Test Manager| Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi ArabiaHawthorn, Victoria, Australia
Corruption affects the practice of project management. As Rami stated, you see corruption mostly in the area of Contracts and Procurement.
*I have also seen corruption where a deserving team member is terminated from a project because a place had to be made for client's relative/friend or sponsor's relative/friend.
*Or a person close to sponsor/client is promoted even if he/she was not the deserving candidate which resulted in deserving candidate leave the project/organization.
*A sponsor can derail the project because of corruption and make it a failure.
*Project manager/team member can leak confidential information to competitor.
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2 replies by Rami Kaibni and fosco frongia
Jan 13, 2016 9:33 AM
Rami Kaibni
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Great input Adil, this is absolutely true.
Jan 14, 2016 6:10 PM
fosco frongia
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many thanks Adil, considering your two first points, we can resume them in conflict of interest.
referring to Rami post it seems we can add an Anti-Conflict of interest Policy in our list or we can consider it include in the Anti Corruption one?
Saving Changes...
Markus KopkoAI Enabler for Project & Program Mgmt | Founder PMotion.ai / The PM
AI Coach| PMotion.aiHamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Hello,
i would echo the comments by Rami and Adil.
It is espacially difficult in an international company when more than one law may be affected and has to be aware of.
In our company every employee has to be done up to 3 seminars/webinars every year related to corruption, anti-trust and those issues.
As a PM i have to do 2 of these (the third one is related to employees in the cost controlling area) and just did it a few weeks ago, so it is quite actual for me.
Regards,
Markus
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2 replies by Rami Kaibni and fosco frongia
Jan 13, 2016 9:34 AM
Rami Kaibni
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Exactly, I used to do these online every year with my previous employer.
Jan 14, 2016 6:25 PM
fosco frongia
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Many thanks Markus, I work in an international context too and we have the same policy (webinar etc.) and a yearly disclosure of conflict of interest. I agree with you that in an international context the matter is affected by different laws and, I add, by different ethical codes. If you are interested i posted other Question - called "Ethics, culture and education" - where this matter was considered. In that Question it was highlighted that it is necessary to find a common code, or better the common elements in every culture, instead to "impose" the code of head quarters. thanks in advance to express your opinion
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Jan 13, 2016 2:55 AM
Replying to Adil Muhammad
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Corruption affects the practice of project management. As Rami stated, you see corruption mostly in the area of Contracts and Procurement.
*I have also seen corruption where a deserving team member is terminated from a project because a place had to be made for client's relative/friend or sponsor's relative/friend.
*Or a person close to sponsor/client is promoted even if he/she was not the deserving candidate which resulted in deserving candidate leave the project/organization.
*A sponsor can derail the project because of corruption and make it a failure.
*Project manager/team member can leak confidential information to competitor.
Great input Adil, this is absolutely true. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Jan 13, 2016 3:04 AM
Replying to Markus Kopko
...
Hello,
i would echo the comments by Rami and Adil.
It is espacially difficult in an international company when more than one law may be affected and has to be aware of.
In our company every employee has to be done up to 3 seminars/webinars every year related to corruption, anti-trust and those issues.
As a PM i have to do 2 of these (the third one is related to employees in the cost controlling area) and just did it a few weeks ago, so it is quite actual for me.
Regards,
Markus
Exactly, I used to do these online every year with my previous employer.
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1 reply by fosco frongia
Jan 14, 2016 6:28 PM
fosco frongia
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Hi Rami,
did you have a policy for it?
In the affirmative case, do you think it is fundamental for the success of Anti-corruption politics?
Absolutely apt responses from everyone.
One thing I'd like to add. The corruptions in contracts and procurement are quantifiable and thus tangible. The moral corruptions are; at times; difficult to detect.
One behaviour I consider as most inappropriate is of those project managers who do not act as entrepreneur on behalf of the company and are "just doing their job". These project managers not necessarily have bad or personal intentions yet their attitude towards handling the project makes it prone to many many disasters.
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2 replies by Suhail Iqbal and fosco frongia
Jan 14, 2016 6:37 PM
fosco frongia
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Many thanks for your contribution Khawaja, I agree with you that the matter is important but I think it is more related to Ethics area than to Corruption one.
At the same time I think that Ethics and Corruption are concepts closely related and, perhaps we can include Corruption in Ethics (better lack of Ethics)
What do you think?
Jan 17, 2016 8:19 PM
Suhail Iqbal
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I fully agree that beside tangible corruption there are many intangibles, and all these can be bridged through proper implementation of Ethics and Social responsibility Policies.
Sometimes, people tend to get away with corruption under the umbrella of ''nepotism'', which is wrong ethically, perhaps organisations need to constantly amend their code of conduct i.e make it explicitly clear that ''nepotism'' is indeed a corrupt practice, I think this falls under Honesty in the PMI Code of ethics.
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2 replies by Rahman Tiamiyu and fosco frongia
Jan 14, 2016 6:40 PM
fosco frongia
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Thanks Ola,
completely agree with you, on my point of view "nepotism" is related with conflict of interest concept. Perhaps it is important to focus the attention on the fact that the conflict of interest is a form of corruption, what do you think?
Jan 15, 2016 6:30 AM
Rahman Tiamiyu
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I totally agree with you fosco, it is like leading a procurement negotiation and across the table is your "in-law" and you play along as if you haven't seen him/her before.
Saving Changes...
Mario TrentimCEO| PMO Global AllianceSao Jose Dos Campos, Sao Paulo, Brazil
I recently read a very interesting book: How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life (http://amzn.to/1Psy0vB). I strongly recommend it. I found good advice on human behaviour and ethics. A must read for sure.
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1 reply by fosco frongia
Jan 14, 2016 6:41 PM
fosco frongia
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Many thanks Mario,
I found and bought it
Saving Changes...
fosco frongiaSenior project manager| ENTE PATRIMONIALE CHIESA GESU' CRISTO SUGFino Mornasco, Como, Italy
Jan 13, 2016 12:03 AM
Replying to Rami Kaibni
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Of course corruption can affect the PM Practice. You see corruption mostly in the area of Contracts and Procurement.
Corruption is always there so every company should have an Anti-Corruption and Ethics Policy.
I agree with you Rami, Contracts and Procurement are the areas with more "monetary" interest, for this reason the most important projects (from the budget point of view) are the most affected by corruption attempts.
I agree with other par of your comment, it is needed an Anti-corruption and Ethics Policy.
Considering my the relationship between corruption and "monetary interest" I think that these policies are strongly needed in these kind of projects.
In your experience are there essential elements which distinguish a "big" project respect a "little" one in these policies application?
...
1 reply by Rami Kaibni
Jan 14, 2016 8:06 PM
Rami Kaibni
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Not really, whether it was a small project or a big project the policies are the same. What differs is the tendency for corruption and degree of reinforcement for these policies as in large projects, there are lots of room for corruption if things were not monitored properly while on small projects, it is limited, yet it can happen but usually detected shortly.
Saving Changes...
fosco frongiaSenior project manager| ENTE PATRIMONIALE CHIESA GESU' CRISTO SUGFino Mornasco, Como, Italy
Jan 13, 2016 2:55 AM
Replying to Adil Muhammad
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Corruption affects the practice of project management. As Rami stated, you see corruption mostly in the area of Contracts and Procurement.
*I have also seen corruption where a deserving team member is terminated from a project because a place had to be made for client's relative/friend or sponsor's relative/friend.
*Or a person close to sponsor/client is promoted even if he/she was not the deserving candidate which resulted in deserving candidate leave the project/organization.
*A sponsor can derail the project because of corruption and make it a failure.
*Project manager/team member can leak confidential information to competitor.
many thanks Adil, considering your two first points, we can resume them in conflict of interest.
referring to Rami post it seems we can add an Anti-Conflict of interest Policy in our list or we can consider it include in the Anti Corruption one? Saving Changes...
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