Main points

• Geographic staff rotation is an established practice used in the customs sector to prevent the formation of new or disrupt existing relationships that lead to corruption.
• Almost only economic models and laboratory experiments suggest that rotation can be effective in reducing the incidence and volume of bribes exchanged between a client and public official.
• The measure may be limited to target entrenched networks and relationships underpinned by social norms.
• Rotation may lead to an increase in corruption if not implemented fairly and deliberately.
• It carries significant operational implications, such as a burden on resources and potentially causing short and long-term efficiency losses.
• A one-size fits all approach to geographic staff rotation should be avoided and it should be implemented carefully with an eye to contextual factors and in tandem with other integrity measures/safeguards.