Corruption in the Security and Defense Sector: Case Studies of Colombia and El Salvador

Transparency International (TI) is a global nonprofit organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. Having identified the security and defense sector as a blind spot in existing corruption research, TI requested a Capstone team to evaluate drivers of and barriers to corruption in the sector. The team focused on Latin America, using case studies of Colombia and El Salvador to develop a methodology of investigation. This methodology included desk research, a corruption risk analysis, and interviews with key stakeholders, including bilateral and multilateral donor institutions, civil society organizations, national political bodies, and sector-line ministries. The Capstone team also developed a toolkit for future replication of project methodology. After conducting fieldwork in Bogota, Colombia, the team then compiled and ana lyzed the collected information to produce a report of findings and recommendations to assist TI in policy and advocacy efforts.