In public procurement, corruption schemes occur in similar form, shape, nature and anatomical structure worldwide – a “multi-sectional schematic.”   That is not to say that certain sectors do not experience certain types of corruption with more regularity.

For example, in the urban sector, abuse of office by local officials for private gain is reported as quite common, while bribery in big infrastructure projects is noted frequently. Survey data indicates that corruption in the public sector ranks as the primary impediment to development, and the eighth “most important problem facing the world.”

That being said, these types of schemes all seem to take the form of a recurring pattern of core activities.  These schemes, as discussed below, include:

	bribery,
	front companies,
	conflicts of interest,
	abuse of public office for private gain and the like.

In grand corruption, the entire procurement process is so subverted with these schemes as to facilitate a pre-planned goal of achieving nothing more than the fulfillment of private versus public objectives.

Introduction Theme 1