STRENGTHENING PROFESSIONALISM AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN THE GHANA POLICE SERVICE USING IDENTITY, NORMS, AND NARRATIVES


Corruption has long been one of the major obstacles to improving economic efficiency and reducing poverty in developing countries. In many places, corruption has become a norm - a way of life - something that is generally accepted as a behavioural standard.How do we change a corrupt norm? The aim of this project is to devise innovative policy interventions based on the ERINN framework to address this question.

















BACKGROUND

The Government of Ghana has announced an ambitious objective to turn the Ghana Police Service into a world class force over the next decade. To help with this objective, and with the full approval of the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service, the research team, led by Dr Donna Harris, is carrying out research on how to reduce corruption in the traffic police in Ghana.


THE STRATEGY

Reducing corruption is difficult: many past efforts around the world have failed. The key idea is that to change people’s behaviour it helps to give them a new role or ‘identity,’ and new narratives that convey a sense of purpose.


We will be running a new training programme aimed at creating a new identity for the traffic officers or the ‘vanguards/future of the Ghana Police Service.’ Support networks will be established for the trained officers to reinforce the new identity and provide a 'safe space' for the officers to share stories and discuss obstacles in their daily duty and work together to co-create solutions.Senior officers who have been trained will also act as role models and mentors to junior officers to strengthen this support network. The training will be co-created with the Research and Planning Directorate of the Ghana Police Service and advised by Inspector Bruno Schettini from theBrazilianFederal Highway Police who has successfully created the first National Police Academy in Brazil. The training method will be interactive and immersive using insights from behavioural economics and psychology. The focus will be on tackling conflict of interests, norms, and multiple social identities, and how to maintain professionalism and ethical standards when faced with these challenges.
















PROUD TO BELONG, THE EXAMPLE OF THE BRAZILIAN HIGHWAY POLICE

Watch 'Proud to Belong', a short film about the Brazilian Federal Highway Police's fight against corruption, featuring Inspector Bruno Schettini.
















RESEARCH TEAM

Donna Harris (CSAE, University of Oxford)

Paul Collier (Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford)

Stefan Dercon (CSAE and Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford)

Danila Serra (Southern Methodist University)

Oana Borcan (University of East Anglia)

James Dzansi (University of Ghana, Legon)

Henry Telli (University of Ghana, Legon)