Central Procurement Structure
Because institutional arrangements are important to curbing corruption in developing countries, locating the overall responsibility for procurement policy in one government entity, such as a national ministry, proves beneficial. Although the links between decentralization and corruption are not entirely clear (Fjeldstad 2003: 4), recent research suggests that devolution and decentralization are desirable (Bardhan and Mookherjee 2000; Gurgur and Shah 2005).However, decentralizing procurement in developing countries must be approached with caution—the lack of technical expertise at the local level can prevent positive outcomes because decentralization makes bribes more accessible (Bardhan and Mookerjee 2003; Carbonera 2000).