Methodology for Developing the Integrity Roadmap

The methodology was based on a review of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s commitments outlined in various national and international documents related to integrity and good governance. Key documents include:

  • The Jordanian Constitution
  • The Sixth Discussion Paper: “The Rule of Law as the Basis of the Civil State”
  • The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), 2003
  • The Arab Convention Against Corruption, 2010
  • Jordan’s Commitments at the 2016 London Anti-Corruption Summit
  • The Open Government Partnership (OGP), 2011
  • The OECD Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty-Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting
  • The Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International
  • The Integrity and Anti-Corruption Law No. 13 of 2016
  • The National Integrity Index (National Integrity Standards for the Public Sector)
  • The Updated National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Strategy 2020–2025
  • Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16)

During the initial review, 147 commitments were identified and categorized under 31 thematic areas, as follows:

  • Establishing the Pillars of Good Governance
  • Equality and Gender Inclusion
  • Public Rights, Freedoms, and Elections
  • Separation of Powers
  • Empowering, Training, and Supporting the Anti-Corruption Authority
  • Financial Oversight of Public Funds
  • Good Governance and Preventive Measures in Public Service
  • Consultation and Participation
  • Public Procurement
  • Right to Access Information, Including Proactive Disclosure
  • Improving Services, Including E-Services and Enhancing Accessibility
  • Grievance Mechanisms
  • Judicial Independence, Efficiency, Public Trust, and Litigation Guarantees
  • Integrity of the Private Sector, Prevention of Conflicts of Interest, and Strengthening Accounting Standards
  • Tax Measures
  • Financial Institutions’ Measures to Combat Money Laundering and Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership
  • Awareness and Training on Corruption Risks
  • Criminalization of Corrupt Practices
  • Prosecution of All Offenders, Special Provisions for Corruption Crimes, and Exceptional Measures
  • Freezing, Seizure, and Confiscation of Assets
  • Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts, and Victims
  • Right to Compensation for Harmed Parties
  • Cooperation of Offenders with Law Enforcement Authorities
  • Internal Cooperation with Authorities and Financial Institutions
  • Joint Investigations
  • Extradition of Offenders
  • Judicial and Technical Assistance, and Information Exchange
  • Recovery of Assets and Criminal Proceeds
  • Disclosure of Financial Statements
  • Sustainable Development
  • Implementation of International Conventions

The criteria adopted to reduce the number of thematic areas (axes) include the following key standards:

  • The frequency of each thematic area in these documents.
  • The progress that has been made so far.
  • The interest and willingness of relevant governmental parties to participate in implementation.
  • The exclusion of general and non-measurable topics as presented in the documents.
  • The exclusion of topics overlapping with other agencies, such as the National Center for Human Rights and the Judicial Council, or specialized topics like tax measures.
  • The powers granted to the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Authority under Law No. 13 of 2016.

After a series of consultations and meetings between us and the project’s strategic partner, the Jordanian Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission (JIACC), the decision was made to adopt four thematic areas, which are: public procurement, improvement of electronic government services, right to access information, and grievance and accountability, for the following reasons:

Public Procurement
There is a repetition of commitments related to public procurement in the national and international documents that were reviewed; it was mentioned 12 times in the constitution, the Law on the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Authority, the National Integrity Standards, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the Arab Convention, the Corruption Perceptions Index, the Rule of Law Index, and the Transformations Index issued by Bertelsmann, among other documents. Public procurement contributes to enhancing the principles of fairness and equality by ensuring equal competition among service providers and reducing the manipulation of public funds through transparent procedures and effective oversight.

Right to Access Information
This thematic area was mentioned 9 times in the national and international documents reviewed. His Majesty King Abdullah II emphasized the importance of this right in his speech in August 2023, when he directed the government to reconsider the Law on the Guarantee of Access to Information. This right is enshrined in the recognition of the importance of individuals’ access to information and promotes government transparency and accountability, thereby contributing to enhancing integrity, combating corruption, and increasing trust in government performance.

Improving E-Government Services
This thematic area has received significant attention and was repeated in the reviewed documents; it appeared 10 times (such as in the Sixth Discussion Paper, the Law on the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Authority, the National Integrity Standards, Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Open Government Partnership Initiative, the Corruption Perceptions Index, the Democracy Index, the Rule of Law Index, and the Global Competitiveness Report). Quality public services are considered fundamental to enhancing sustainable economic growth, development, and welfare. Streamlining administrative processes and modern service delivery methods, such as e-government, leads to improved administrative procedures, reduced burdens on individuals and businesses, and lower levels of corruption. Therefore, enhancing government services will promote the principles of transparency and accountability, increase citizen satisfaction and trust in the government, and play an important role in combating corruption and enhancing integrity.

Grievance and Accountability
The impact of this area, which was mentioned 7 times in national and international documents, is reflected in enhancing transparency and accountability, as it allows individuals and civil society to monitor and oversee the performance of the government and public institutions. Additionally, it helps reduce opportunities for corruption and fosters public trust and satisfaction with government performance and agencies.

Thematic Areas