While not recounting all that has happened in the past one year with regards to the Anti-Corruption crusade by the President Yar Adua Administration, do we consider the activities of the Anti-Corruption agencies to be more vibrant, compared to what we witnessed in the last democratic dispensation? Has our image fared better in the international scene with regards to our seriousness in fighting Corruption?
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Subscription to the Convention on Business Integrity requires a demonstration of good faith by intending signatories to introduce or amend business procedures to comply with the Convention of Business Integrity. To assist prospective members measure their progress, CBi has devised a five star rating, or dashboard. Note that the five areas reflect the five principles as set out in the Declaration and Standard.
One Star * - Competence
CBi checks the fitness for purpose of an organisation, paying particular attention to processes that ensure it cannot act outside its areas of competence. The entity must have adequate professional competence, including knowledge, skill and experience. CBi will therefore make some checks amongst your stakeholders as part of the application process.
Two Stars ** - Ethics and Morals
CBi checks the principles and values of the organisation to ensure you have articulated acceptable ethical and moral standards for itself by way of credos, codes or policy statements. We pay particular attention to processes that require that such values are known and imbibed throughout the organisation.
Signing the Convention
Once these checks have been made you will be invited to make a public commitment by signing the Convention on Business Integrity.
Three Stars *** - Transparency and Accountability
Through the external assessment, we check processes have been put in place to ensure timely and accurate disclosure of information to stakeholders (as much as a particular stakeholder has a right to) both at pre-agreed intervals and at unscheduled times. We check processes put in place to ensure the Board and Management cannot act ultra-vires.
External assessment
Once you feel that you are complying with the transparency and accountability requirements, and have started a process of internal audit, then you are probably ready to undergo an external assessment. You could of course wait until you can demonstrate complete compliance with the requirements for the fourth and fifth star, but CBi is keen to encourage a process of continuous improvement. The external assessors will be looking for evidence that you have in place appropriate policies and procedures, but will be more tolerant during the first external assessment if there is less evidence that demonstrates that they are being applied.
Four Stars **** - Will and Power to do the Right Thing
Through the external assessment, we check processes put in place to ensure audit of organisation's compliance with stated business processes as well as continuous enhancement of such processes. We check that the process includes self audits of compliance with the values of the Convention by a board level member of the organisation with sufficient powers to define and execute any remedial action identified as necessary.
Five Stars ***** - Commitment
Through the external assessment, we check for evidence of a track record of sanctioning deviant behaviour and a history of rewarding acceptable behaviour within the organisation, about which the average stakeholder should be able to testify. This gives an idea of commitment to entrenching the stated values into the culture of the organisation. A demonstrated time related will and power to review and enhance integrity continuously would imply the full implementation of the Convention on Business Integrity.
