First Debate Conference of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency with CCOO PV: “Warning and prevention systems in the fight against fraud and corruption”

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On June 16, the first CCOO PV – AVAF Conference-debate was held. The Conference was followed mainly by more than 60 union delegates, both in person and virtually.

The Conference was opened by the general secretary of CCOO PV, Ana García Alcolea, claiming the task of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency and affirming that it is an “organisation that has not been sufficiently valued, perhaps because of the object of its activity”. From the trade union perspective, the AVAF is a valuable tool for the control of public powers and the preservation of the rights of citizens. Consequently, he concluded, “training in this matter will result in improving the capacity of intervention of the delegates and staff delegates and of the people who are part of the works councils”.

For his part, the director of Prevention, Training and Documentation of the Agency, Víctor Almonacid, highlighted the institutional position of the Agency, emphasizing its role in preventing possible fraud, and underlining that conduct that, although not criminal, may be in the basis of fraud and corruption. In his speech, he pointed out the importance of public integrity, beyond legality, because society is “intolerant of corruption.”

After the opening of the day, the round table began with the intervention of Víctor Almonacid on the main risks in the management of public resources, and continued with the presentation of the complaint channels, internal and external, by the head of service of Analysis and Research, Miguel Furió.

The interest of the interventions generated an intense debate, both by those attending the event and by the speakers. The questions focused on the complaint channels, the competent body to receive and process them, their follow-up, the investigations that they may give rise to, as well as the complaints that go to the Prosecutor’s Office. The need for preventive measures of public integrity and the necessary independence of the personnel at the service of an organization such as the AVAF or similar was also highlighted.

The Agency appreciates the collaboration and involvement of CCOO PV in this conference, which has allowed us to jointly reflect on the prevention of fraud and corruption, and on the obligation and importance of reporting channels and their management.

The 1st inter-university course on the prevention of corruption in public management, taught by the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency in Valencian public universities, begins.

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The five Valencian public universities (Universitat de València, Politècnica de València, Miguel Hernández de Elche, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló and University of Alicante9) have launched, thanks to the collaboration between the AVAF Training Service and its training services, the first interuniversity course on the prevention of corruption and the fight against fraud in public management

The course will be taught by staff from the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency and the Services Inspection of the Generalitat Valenciana over five days, where each of the universities will be the host throughout the months of the learning experience. .

On Tuesday, June 7, 2022, the course was inaugurated in a session chaired by Ángeles Solanes, vice-rector for Teaching Transformation and Lifelong Learning at the University of Valencia, and Joan Llinares, director of the AVAF, in the Assembly Hall of the Rectorate building of the UV.

The vice-rector Ángeles Solanes recognized the work of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency and thanked the institution for offering to participate in this course, aimed at PAS personnel and those who exercise responsibilities in governing bodies of Valencian public universities.

The director of the AVAF shared with those present the international context in which the fight against corruption arises, the existing European and international references, as well as the creation of the Agency, its legal nature, functions and most relevant aspects of the entity, like the 27 whistleblowers who hold AVAF protection status.

Anselm Bodoque, head of the Agency’s Training Service, focused the second conference of the day on the social, civil, political, economic and institutional costs produced by irregular practices in public administrations, as well as the negative effects that affect the entire public sector and citizens in general. To put an end to fraud, the main battle is in the mechanisms to improve institutional quality.

The next day of the 1st interuniversity course on “Prevention of corruption in public management” will take place at the Polytechnic University of Valencia on July 6, 2022. In this second session, the staff of the General Services Inspectorate of the Generalitat Valenciana will present the focus on the IGS methodology of the GVA for the preparation of risk exposure maps and risk self-assessment plans in the field of public procurement and personnel management.

*Images courtesy of UV

The IES Barri del Carmen, first in the city of Valencia to celebrate the #DocuforumAVAF in Compulsory Secondary Education.

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The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency was present last Monday, June 6, 2022, at the Barrio del Carmen Secondary Education Institute with the aim of holding a docuforum on ethics and public integrity within the framework of the history subject of the 4th year of ESO.

This docuforum learning experience has been the first held in the ESO training stage in the city of Valencia, with the collaboration of Professor Lucia Grandes.

In a first session, the students watched the Pandora Box documentary “Corruption: harmful organism”. After it, they had the opportunity to express their doubts and questions, which were answered in the second session of the learning experience, with the presence in the classroom of part of the AVAF Training Service team.

After exposing the origins of the fight against corruption, and initiatives of the legislator in the matter of prevention and fight against fraud, the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency was presented to the young people, its origin and independence, only attached to Les Corts.

Throughout the exhibition, the students learned about the various functions attributed by law to the AVAF (Prevention, training, analysis and investigation, protection of corruption whistleblowers). The session was facilitated by Pilar Moreno, training technician, and Anselm Bodoque, head of the Training Service of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency.

The 4th ESO students, within the history subject, where the session took place, have shown interest in knowing how corruption affects them as citizens and what they can do to prevent it.

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency continues with this new learning experience on the path that brings the institution, its objectives, and functions closer to Compulsory Secondary Education classes, to participate in the creation of a more informed youth in the fight against corruption and necessary integrity and transparency in public administration.

This has been the last #DocuforumAVAF held in the 2021-2022 school year. The Agency’s Training Service is grateful for the collaboration of all the teaching staff who have supported the dissemination among students of the importance of preventing corruption and the work of AVAF.

If you are a university, secondary or high school teacher and you are interested in having the training activity “Docuforum on ethics and public integrity” carried out in the subject you teach, do not hesitate to contact the Training Service of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency at through formacion@antifraucv.es