INTRODUCTION

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is mandated by law to spearhead the fight against Corruption in Zambia. The ACC’s 2004 – 2008 Strategic Plan, created in consultation with stakeholders and in accordance with national priorities, identifies the need for a more proactive approach to the fight against corruption in Zambia. The creation of a National Corruption Prevention Policy was identified as a key output.

On 26^th October, 2004, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa S.C. launched the National Governance Baseline Survey Report. This report contains the findings of a survey which was commissioned by the Government to find out the views of the Zambians on corruption in Zambia. The results show that corruption is a serious problem in the country, especially at points where public institutions give services to members of the public. In response to the views of the stakeholders, the ACC has conducted extensive research into the effectiveness of institutionalising the prevention of corruption in public institutions in order to enhance public service delivery. The Government is satisfied that a strategy based on appointment and training of integrity focal persons who should form Integrity Committees in public and private organisations is the most effective.

WHO ARE INTEGRITY COMMITTEE MEMBERS?

Each organization should be responsible for preventing corruption from occurring within its sphere of control. Integrity Committee (IC) Members are individuals who are tasked with taking steps to prevent corruption within their organization’s sphere of control. An Integrity Committee Member would normally be a Senior Manager with a direct reporting line to the Chief Executive. In most organizations the Integrity Committee (IC) Members will already have other responsibilities within the organization at Director level. Each Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA) should preferably have 4 (four) Integrity Committee (IC) Members at that level.

THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE INTEGRITY COMMITTEES IN MDAs

The Integrity Committees will be the focal point as far as the prevention of corruption and other forms of unethical behaviour in MDAs is concerned. It is the Integrity Committee of the Institution that will:

(a) Spearhead and facilitate the process of preventing corruption in their respective MDAs and providing information on what the Integrity Committee will accomplish and what is expected of it in the organization.
(b) Be responsible for the production of the Institutional Corruption Prevention Action Plan whose implementation quarterly reports will be submitted by the Permanent Secretary or the Chief Executive Officer to the Secretary to the Cabinet through the ACC.
(c) Participate in the training of senior and middle managers and the rank and file on Service Delivery Charters, ethics and integrity and on anti-corruption theories and measures of transparency and integrity in participatory workshops to enlist support and understanding of the issues to be administered by the Integrity Committee.
(d) Be responsible for ensuring that the Codes of Conduct/Ethics at MDA level are understood by all members of an organization and compliance is enforced. The codes of ethics are not supposed to be punitive but rather to be reminders to members of an organization on what constitutes good behaviour of an employee.
(e) Receive, consider and provide redress on all complaints emanating from within and outside the organization relating to ethical issues and maladministration. It is envisaged that the Committees will provide responses and resolutions within reasonable time and at most not more than seven days in case of simple complaints.
(f) Recommend administrative action to the management of the MDA as a response to complaints verified that are authentic and genuine, while those measures that are above the Ministerial competence will be forwarded by the Permanent Secretary/CEO of the MDA to appropriate Agencies/authorities for appropriate remedy/action.

CURRENT STATUS 
The ‘Integrity Committees Initiative’ as it may be referred to, was approved and is being implemented, on a pilot basis in eight (8) public Institutions namely;
Zambia Police Service
Immigration Department
Ndola City Council
Lusaka City Council
Ministry of Lands
Zambia Revenue Authority
Public Service Pensions Fund and
Anti-Corruption Commission

The four (4) I.C members in each of the above mentioned institutions were sworn-in on 7^th February 2007 by the Secretary to the Cabinet and have started functioning. The public is therefore urged to channel any complaints or feedback on service delivery in the above mentioned institutions to the respective organizations I.C members.