The ACRC's Integrity Assessment Program was given the 1st prize in the category of Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service at the 2012 United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) held on June 25 in New York.

The ACRC won an award for the second consecutive year, as it received the 2nd prize last year for e-People in the category of Advancing Knowledge Management in Government.

During the Assessment Program, surveys are conducted of about 220,000 government employees and citizens on the corrupt practices at public organizations (as of 2011). The integrity score and level, which are calculated based on the results of the surveys, are released to the public via the media every December.

The Integrity Assessment Program, which was first initiated for 71 organizations in 2002, has expanded to cover 684 organizations in 2011. In terms of scope and applications, the initiative has become one of the representative anti-corruption polices of the Korean government.

To improve in those areas identified by the Integrity Assessment as being vulnerable to corruption, the ACRC examines the actual conditions and then establishes and implements measures to improve relevant laws and institutions. The results of the Integrity Assessment are reflected in organization performance evaluations, such as the joint assessment of the local governments and the evaluation of the Offices of Education, and used as basis for giving incentives or penalties for personnel administration and budget allocation to subject organizations.

Rising public awareness about the assessment results has facilitated competition in good faith to improve integrity among various organizations in the government. This has contributed to building a cleaner and more transparent culture in public offices.

"Our assessment program provides more accurate and relevant information on corruption because it uses an objective and scientific assessment process. The institutional excellence of our program was acknowledged resulting in our receiving this award," said Mr. Sang-sik Kim, Assistant Chairman for Planning and Coordination, who participated in the UNPSA on behalf of the ACRC.

The UNPSA was initiated by the UN in 2003 to promote visibility in the public service and to develop innovations in governance and public administration. The award ceremonies have been conducted every June since 2003 by the UNPSA to honor the best practices of public service institutions in countries worldwide. This year a total of 471 public services and initiatives were submitted by 73 public organizations and governments in countries around the globe.