Blockchain-Enabled Anti-Corruption Frameworks for Public Procurement: A Latin American Case Study

Gabriel Silva Atencio

doi:10.4108/eetsis.7608

Authors

Gabriel Silva Atencio Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4881-181X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4108/eetsis.7608

Keywords:

Blockchain, corruption, governance, procurement, professional ethics, transparency

Abstract

This research examines the potential application of blockchain technology in combating corruption in public procurement in Latin America, with a focus on Costa Rica's SICOP system. The research identifies systemic weaknesses in current processes and proposes a phased framework for the adoption of blockchain. It does this by using an exploratory qualitative approach that combines ethnographic case studies of procurement officials with a comparison of how things are done in other countries. Key results show that blockchain can fill in important gaps in bid verification, audit efficiency, and process transparency. They also show that there are cultural and organizational impediments to deployment that people don't realize. The study adds to the state of the art by (1) creating a context-specific implementation model that has been tested against problems in the region; (2) measuring how well blockchain works to fight corruption through real-world benchmarks; and (3) making policy suggestions for mixed technical-institutional reforms. The results show that blockchain's worth comes not just from its cryptographic capabilities but also from its capacity to make transparency a standard way of governing. However, for it to be effective, there has to be equal investment in modernizing the law, teaching people about ethics, and getting stakeholders involved. The study goes beyond just talking about theories by giving emerging economies useful information that takes into account both technology and human components in anti-corruption initiatives.

References

[1] L. T. Ha, T. T. To, N. Thi Thanh Huyen, H. Q. Hoa, and T. A. Ngoc, "The roles of e-government in combating corruption: evidence from European countries," Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 1505–1533, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTPM-04-2022-0065.

[2] G. Silva-Atencio, M. Umaña-Ramírez, and M. Valverde-Porras, "Impact of Blockchain on Latin American healthcare systems," Revista Tecnología en Marcha, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 78–86, 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.18845/tm.v36i3.6223.

[3] G. Adjorlolo et al., "Evaluating Corruption-Prone Public Procurement Stages for Blockchain Integration Using AHP Approach," Systems, vol. 13, no. 4, p. 267, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13040267.

[4] R. Trequattrini, M. Palmaccio, M. Turco, and A. Manzari, "The contribution of blockchain technologies to anti‐corruption practices: A systematic literature review," Business Strategy and the Environment, 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3327.

[5] A. M. Ezzat and E. Hassan, "The Effect (s) of E-government on Corruption: Examining the Role of Development Level," The International Journal of Public Policies in Egypt (IJPPE), vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 79–103, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.21608/ijppe.2025.443490.

[6] A. Mohan and G. Jayalakshmi, "Blockchain-Enabled Transparency and Accountability in Public Sector Governance," 2025 International Conference on Intelligent and Cloud Computing (ICoICC), pp. 1–6, 2–3 May 2025 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICoICC64033.2025.11052060.

[7] A. Gasmi and R. Benlamri, "Chapter 4 - Augmented reality, virtual reality and new age technologies demand escalates amid COVID-19," Novel AI and Data Science Advancements for Sustainability in the Era of COVID-19, pp. 89–111, 2022/01/01/ 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90054-6.00005-2.

[8] M. Khalfan, N. Azizi, O. Haass, T. Maqsood, and I. Ahmed, "Blockchain Technology: Potential Applications for Public Sector E-Procurement and Project Management," Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 10, p. 5791, 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14105791.

[9] P. Ajibade and S. M. Mutula, "The Use of Blockchain Technology in Electronic Records Management Systems to Mitigate Corruption in South Africa," Mousaion, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 1–19, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-659X/10149.

[10] U. Muhdiarta, "Blockchain Technology for Public Administration: Enhancing Accountability and Good Governance," International Journal of Innovation and Thinking, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 39–50, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.71364/ijit.v2i1.9.

[11] B. C. A. Petroni and M. S. Pfitzner, "A Framework of Blockchain Technology for Public Management in Brazil," Blockchain and the Public Sector: Theories, Reforms, and Case Studies, pp. 151–174, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55746-1_7.

[12] T. Okot, M. C. Guilcrits, and E. M. Navarro, "Industry 4.0: Costa Rica’s State-Of-The-Art in relation to Technology and Value Addition," UNIE Business Research, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 210–223, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.48132/hdbr.344.

[13] H. Enríquez, "Blockchain Innovation Technology for Corruption Decrease in Mexico," Asian Journal of Innovation & Policy, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 177–194, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.7545/ajip.2021.10.2.177.

[14] A. Abawa and H. Obse, "Organizational culture and organizational performance: does job satisfaction mediate the relationship?," Cogent Business & Management, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 2324127, 2024/12/31 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2324127.

[15] K. Reichborn-Kjennerud, "The Origins and Main Tools of New Public Management," Sustainable Urban Transitions and New Public Management: The Norwegian Experience, pp. 21–36, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82307-7_3.

[16] Y. Baahmad, "Enhancing Soft Skills in Schools of Engineering: The Application of the Experiential Learning Theory (ELCT)," Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 216–229, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.32996/jeltal.2025.7.1.20.

[17] T. C. Dang, H. V. Van, and D. L. Van, "E-government and corruption in an emerging country: New perspectives from a spatiotemporal approach," International Review of Economics & Finance, vol. 100, p. 104111, 2025/06/01/ 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iref.2025.104111.

[18] H. O. Ohize et al., "Blockchain for securing electronic voting systems: a survey of architectures, trends, solutions, and challenges," Cluster Computing, vol. 28, no. 2, p. 132, 2024/11/26 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10586-024-04709-8.

[19] B. Ayeboafo, S. Anomah, and K. Amofah, "Leveraging blockchain technology adoption in the fight against corruption: An evaluation of Ghana's readiness," Journal of Economic Criminology, vol. 8, p. 100158, 2025/06/01/ 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconc.2025.100158.

[20] R. Trequattrini, M. Palmaccio, M. Turco, and A. Manzari, "The contribution of blockchain technologies to anti‐corruption practices: A systematic literature review," Business Strategy and the Environment, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 4–18, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3327.

[21] A. Halai, V. Halai, R. Hrechaniuk, and K. Datsko, "Digital anti-corruption tools and their implementation in various legal systems around the world," SHS Web of Conferences, vol. 100, p. 03005, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202110003005.

[22] D. di Prisco and D. Strangio, "Technology and financial inclusion: a case study to evaluate potential and limitations of Blockchain in emerging countries," Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 448–461, 2025/04/03 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2021.1944617.

[23] M. Kassen, "Blockchain and digital governance: Decentralization of decision making policy," Review of Policy Research, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 95–121, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12585.

[24] N. Choi and H. Kim, "Technological Convergence of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence: A Review and Challenges," Electronics, vol. 14, no. 1, p. 84, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14010084.

[25] P. C. Susanto, L. Yuntina, E. Saribanon, J. P. Soehaditama, and E. Liana, "Qualitative method concepts: Literature review, focus group discussion, ethnography and grounded theory," Siber Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 262–275, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.38035/sjam.v2i2.207.

[26] W. M. Lim, "What Is Qualitative Research? An Overview and Guidelines," Australasian Marketing Journal, vol. 0, no. 0, p. 14413582241264619, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/14413582241264619.

[27] A. Singh, "An introduction to experimental and exploratory research," Available at SSRN 3789360, 2021, doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3789360.

[28] E. Vieta and M. De Prisco, "Cross-sectional studies: is pressing the pause button worth it in research?," European neuropsychopharmacology: the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, vol. 85, pp. 32–33, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.06.005.

[29] L. N. Kawar, G. B. Dunbar, E. M. Aquino-Maneja, S. L. Flores, V. R. Squier, and K. R. Failla, "Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and triangulation research simplified," The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, vol. 55, no. 7, pp. 338–344, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20240328-03.

[30] K. M. Ekström, "Multisited ethnography," Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing, pp. 436–447, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035302727.00046.

[31] D. Mortelmans, "Thematic Coding," Doing Qualitative Data Analysis with NVivo, pp. 57–87, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66014-6_8.

[32] CGR. "Consulta de compras con fondos públicos (SIAC)." Contraloría General de la República. https://www.cgr.go.cr/02-consultas/compra-fp/consulta-compra-fp-glosario.html (accessed 2023).

[33] M. W. Arham, "Revolutionizing Financial Audits: The Transformative Impact of AI and Blockchain Technologies on Modern Auditing Practices," American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 14–29, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2025.151002.