Transparency International Defence & Security would like to announce the initial phase of the 2019 edition of the Defence Companies Anti-Corruption Index (DCI).

What is the Defence Companies Anti-Corruption Index (DCI)?

The purpose of the Index is to set the standard for transparency in the defence sector and to explore what companies are publicly committing to in terms of anti-corruption. The Index has a global reach and will assess 143 defence companies across 35 countries. The index was first published in 2012 with a second edition in 2015, and the latest edition is set to be published in 2019.

The upcoming index will apply a revised methodology and will include some key differences from previous editions.

A copy of the 2015 edition can be found here.

How will the 2019 Index be different?

Based on feedback from a range of users and advice from anti-bribery experts, the methodology for the 2019 edition of the Index has been reviewed and re-designed. The new methodology will shift the emphasis of the index from a tool which has previously focused on compliance, to ensure that it accounts for a wider range of risks. Full details of modifications will be made available to companies shortly.

Unlike the 2015 version, this edition of the Index will assess companies through publicly available information only. The decision to exclude internal information from the evaluation reflects our increased focus on transparency, public disclosure of information, incident response and the practical implementation of anti-bribery and corruption programmes.

How have companies been selected?

Companies included in the index will be contacted directly in due course. At present, our selection criteria is based on the fact that:

• The company features in the 2016 edition of SIPRI’s Top 100 defence companies.
• The company features in the 2016 edition of Defence Industry Weekly’s Top 100 defence companies.
• The company is the largest national defence company headquartered in a country exporting at least £10 million, as identified by SIPRI.

How will data on companies be collected?

Our assessment of a company’s individual anti-bribery and corruption record is based entirely on publicly available information. In particular, we will review the company’s website, including any available reports, for evidence of robust anti-corruption systems, as well as any functioning hyperlinks to other relevant online materials. In reviewing your company’s materials, we will assess the completeness and accessibility of the information, in particular:

• The amount of information a company publishes about its internal anti-corruption programmes, incident response systems and interactions with third parties;
• Evidence that these systems are used by employees and made available to all employees;
• Evidence that the company monitors and reviews its anti-bribery and corruption processes.

Research for the Index will be conducted by a team of analysts within the Defence and Security team at TI. Once we have assessed your company, we will notify you of our preliminary findings and provide you with a period of time to bring any additional supporting material to our attention.

Where can I find the assessment criteria?

The updated assessment criteria will be made available on this website shortly.

What is the timeline for the Index?

We will send the information formally announcing the next edition of the Index to companies in June – July 2018. This will include further details regarding the process, timelines, and methodology.

We will be holding a consultation period over the coming months to allow companies to give feedback and ask questions about the upcoming Index. For those seeking further information after this period, we will also host online webinars. Further details will be announced in due course.

Research for the assessments is planned to commence in the Autumn and will last until the end of 2018. Initial results will be shared with companies so that they have the opportunity to implement new processes or make more information publicly available. The results of the index will be published in the second quarter of 2019.

What do companies have to do next?

We will write to companies included in the 2019 Index shortly. In the meantime, companies don’t have to actively do anything.

Will we have an opportunity to give feedback on the methodology before the assessments start?

Yes – companies may offer feedback and comments about the methodology to TI using one of the following opportunities:

• Take part in one of the online webinars (dates to be announced)
• Email the team at: dci@transparency.org

Feedback is welcome from all users of the index including governments, civil society, journalists and companies.