Access-to-information and demand-side transparency

• Project selection and budgeting driven by political influence
• Bias toward large works/projects to maximise opportunities for illicit gains
• Strategic misrepresentation of cost estimates at identification stage
• Investment decisions driven by influential private actors and weak strategic alignment
• Conflicts-of-interest and revolving‑door influence in early decisions
• Bribery or undue influence to secure financing or guarantees
• Manipulated feasibility and appraisal (economic, environmental & social, technical)
• Insider trading in land and right of way (misuse of confidential route/site information)
• Conflicts-of-interest and revolving-door influence in appraisal
• Undue influence over delivery model selection
• Insufficient transparency on appraisal and financing terms
• Design imprecision (overdesign or incomplete specifications), gold plating, and scope inflation
• Bribery and extortion for permits, approvals and safeguards sign‑off
• Bribery for favourable impact assessments
• Collusive practices in subcontracting and conflicts-of-interest involving consultants during project design
• Insufficient disclosure of designs, assumptions, and the rationale for changes
• Restricted competition through non-transparent tendering
• Bid rigging and collusion among bidders
• Leakage of confidential tender information and manipulation of evaluation criteria
• Undue influence of political agents and intermediaries in the tender process
• Tender capture by organised crime or politically exposed networks
• Evaluators with conflicts-of-interest
• Manipulated change orders and variation claims to extract rents
• Manipulated progress reporting and concealment of delays or defects
• Bribery, collusion and intimidation in O&M contract awards and renewals
• Audit and evaluation capture through undue influence
• Weak records management and lack of transparent performance data
• Retaliation against whistleblowers and suppression of complaints
• Conflicts and interference in investigations, dispute resolution and enforcement

Investors; Companies; Civil society organisations (CSOs)