Using special construction and technical knowledge in the fight against corruption

Introduction. Corruption risks are essential restrictive factors that hamper the normal operation of the construction industry; they are the obstacles that hamper investment and construction activities; they prevent the successful implementation of government-funded projects and development programmes. Elimination of corruption threats through the expert examination of draft legal acts in terms of corruptogenicity, law enforcement monitoring, research into practical corruption, control over business processes in the construction industry and other actions represent the top priority actions performed within the framework of Russia’s effective anti-corruption policy. Materials and methods. Corruption risks can be easily differentiated depending on specific stages of investment and construction projects. It is logical to distinguish corruption risks at due diligence and project implementation stages, at the stages of construction and commissioning, and at the stage of facility operation. Results. The co-authors have analyzed the anti-corruption efforts exerted in the construction industry both by the federal government and parties to investment construction projects. The co-authors describe several elements of anti-corruption actions aimed at the improvement of the system of state governance, in particular, the co-authors address several actions, taken by the Ministry of construction, housing and utilities of the Russian Federation. The business community considers corruption control as an effectively operating multi-faceted system, that encompasses supervision, reporting, and law enforcement. Today any control over corruption threats, that accompany the implementation of investment and construction projects, is undergoing substantial transformations triggered by the introduction of information technologies (BIM, improvement of electronic purchasing and tendering systems, etc.) Traditional instruments of control (for example, audi­ting) should focus on the involvement of competent professionals, having in-depth knowledge of construction processes and capable of performing an expert examination of project’s economic and construction constituents and accompanying business processes. Conclusions. The co-authors have substantiated the need to apply a flexible multi-faceted approach to corruption control, which should not be limited to controlling instruments to ensure the comprehensive tackling of the corruption problem.