The second round also tracks implementation of recommendations from the first. Participating governments must complete a self-assessment questionnaire; civil society organisations have been invited to do so as well to provide an independent view of how governments are implementing the Convention.

TI chapters and chapters in formation in Argentina, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Paraguay chose to participate. The following recommendations resulted:

• TI’s Argentinean chapter Poder Ciudadano suggested mechanisms to prevent political favouritism in public appointments, and ways to improve government procurement and whistleblower protection, including strengthening the National Witness Protection Programme. See: www.poderciudadano.org/index.php?do=temas&id=44
• Ética y Transparencia, TI’s chapter in Nicaragua, recommended reforming laws on public contracting and procurement, passing whistleblower protection legislation, and strengthening the country’s institutions to detect, prevent and convict of those guilty of corruption.
• In Ecuador, Corporación Latinoamericana para el Desarrollo (CLD), suggested unifying public contracting regulations to facilitate “ex-post” control of contracts, codifying the government’s electronic procurement system and creating a organisation to provide statistics, standardised procedures and training.
• Transparencia Paraguay suggested improving whistleblower protection, as well as access to information to assist in citizen oversight.
• In Honduras, ACI-Participa commented on the lack of legislation to protect whistleblowers and the failure of the state to apply laws to protect against corruption in the recruitment of public officials.

Please see the following link for more detailed information on second round of the IACAC monitoring process:
www.transparency.org/regional_pages/americas/conventions/oas/ii_round