Measuring institutional corruption exposure through decision-maker knowledge intelligence

Corruption does not materialize because institutions lack policies, codes, or frameworks.
It materializes when those entrusted with authority lack the anti-corruption knowledge intelligence required to recognize corruption risk embedded in routine decisions.

The Certified Anti-Corruption Entity (CACE) is an entity-level assessment issued by The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI) that measures institutional corruption exposure based exclusively on the aggregated anti-corruption knowledge intelligence of decision-makers. 
Decision-maker anti-corruption knowledge intelligence refers to the ability of those exercising authority to recognize, reason about, and respond to corruption risk when making or overriding decisions.

CACE does not certify virtue.
It does not validate governance quality.
It does not assess compliance systems, internal controls, or ethics programs.

CACE quantifies exposure arising from how decisions are understood, reasoned, and exercised. Nothing more. Nothing less.

What CACE is

CACE is a structured, methodical institutional assessment designed for boards, senior management, and other decision-makers who exercise material decision-making authority, that:

• measures corruption exposure derived from collective decision-maker anti-corruption knowledge intelligence,
• applies a centralized, rule-based, and standardized interpretation framework,
• produces a private, non-comparative institutional exposure profile, and
• is governed and issued exclusively by The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI).

CACE is designed for institutions that treat corruption exposure as a governance risk, not a branding or marketing exercise.

What CACE is not

CACE does not:

• audit systems, processes, or internal control,

• assess governance effectiveness or ethical culture,

• validate compliance with laws, standards, or frameworks,

• detect, investigate, or allege fraud or corruption,

• provide pass/fail outcomes, rankings, ratings, or public scores, or

• certify the absence of wrongdoing.

Any attempt to infer such conclusions from CACE outcomes constitutes misuse of the assessment and may result in withdrawal of certification status and restrictions on public reference, in accordance with The AACI terms.

The assessment foundation

CACE is grounded in the corruption prevention management test (CPMT), an assessment developed by The AACI to quantify anti-corruption knowledge intelligence among institutional decision-makers.

The CPMT evaluates knowledge across six high-level conceptual domains, including:

• The AACI Ten Principles of Fighting Corruption, as applied to institutional integrity and accountability,

• internal control and corruption risk management,

• fraud and corruption typologies and detection mechanisms,

• governance-related corruption prevention knowledge intelligence,

• management judgment and decision making, and

• global commitments to fighting corruption.

Individual CPMT results are aggregated at the entity level using a standardized, rule-based interpretation framework to produce an institutional corruption exposure profile.

Scoring logic, aggregation mechanics, domain weightings, and interpretation rules are proprietary intellectual property of The AACI and are not publicly disclosed.

The Corruption Prevention Management Test (CPMT)

The CPMT is a formal assessment instrument used exclusively within the CACE certification architecture.

Examination characteristics

• duration: 150 minutes

• language: English

• format: multiple-choice and true/false questions

• delivery: in-person, proctored examination

• governance: administered under The AACI centralized examination policy

• oversight: directly governed and monitored by The AACI Exam Unit

The CPMT is not training.
It is not awareness-building.
It is not preparation for future performance.

It measures how decision-makers reason about corruption risk when exercising authority at the time of assessment.

Examination integrity and governance

All CPMT examinations are governed by centralized standards issued by The AACI.
Where operational arrangements require third-party involvement, such delivery occurs strictly under The AACI authority and examination policy.

The AACI reserves the right to invalidate examination sessions or outcomes that do not meet its governance, integrity, or procedural standards.

Orientation session

As part of the CACE process, The AACI may deliver an institutional orientation session to participating entities.

The orientation session:

• explains the purpose and governance logic of CACE,

• clarifies the role of CPMT within the certification architecture, and

• frames corruption exposure as a governance concept.

The orientation session is not training, not test preparation, and not a review of examinable content.
Participation has no impact on CPMT scoring, aggregation, certification determination, registry status, or disclosure posture.

Interpretation of CACE outcomes

CACE interpretation is:

• rule-based, not discretionary,

• standardized, not subjective,

• non-determinative, not judgmental.

Interpretation focuses on identifying levels of institutional corruption exposure and the stability or volatility of that exposure across assessed decision-makers.

No individual scores are disclosed.
No domain-level scores are published.
No comparative benchmarking is performed.

What CPMT measures

CPMT is designed to assess how anti-corruption knowledge is exercised when authority is used to approve, override, defer, or ignore corruption-critical decisions. It does not assume that the existence of policies, controls, or professional credentials translates into effective corruption risk management. Instead, CPMT focuses on decision-making judgment at the level of authority where institutional exposure is created or mitigated.

What the organization receives

Entities completing the CACE process receive two formal outputs.

1. CACE certificate

The certificate confirms that the entity has undergone the CACE assessment process and is recognized as a CACE-assessed entity.

The certificate states the entity’s aggregate CPMT score, which is not interpretable in isolation.

The certificate explicitly states that it must be read together with the CACE report, which is an integral part of the certification outcome.

2. CACE report

The CACE report provides the structured interpretation of the assessment outcome in accordance with The AACI methodology.

The report:

• contextualizes the aggregate entity score,

• presents the institutional corruption exposure profile, and

• discloses the number of decision-makers and board members who did not sit for the CPMT.

Individual results, domain-level scores, and proprietary mechanics are not disclosed.

Separation from individual certifications

CACE and CPMT are institutional diagnostic instruments.

They are distinct from The AACI’s individual qualifications, including the certified anti-corruption fellow (CACF) and the certified anti-corruption manager (CACM), which are designed to build individual competence and professional capacity over time.

The conceptual domains assessed by the CPMT substantially overlap with the knowledge frameworks reflected in CACF and CACM materials, The AACI Ten Principles of Fighting Corruption, and the Standards on Fighting Corruption (SFCs). This overlap reflects the shared intellectual foundation of anti-corruption knowledge, not a dependency between individual credentials and institutional assessment outcomes.

CPMT does not assess recall, familiarity with The AACI materials, or exposure to training content. It evaluates how corruption risk is identified, reasoned about, and addressed at the point where authority is exercised, within governance-relevant decision contexts.

There is no direct or linear relationship between the number of CACF or CACM holders within an organization and its CPMT or CACE outcomes. Holding individual credentials does not, by itself, reduce institutional corruption exposure or influence CPMT scoring, aggregation, or certification determination.

Institutional corruption exposure may remain high when corruption-critical decisions are concentrated outside credentialed roles, when qualified knowledge is not embedded in governance processes, or when decision-making authority overrides technical competence.

CACF and CACM support capacity building over time. CPMT intentionally captures realized exposure as it exists at the point of assessment, rather than potential capability, stated intent, or future improvement initiatives.

Assessment frequency

CACE is a point-in-time assessment.

Because anti-corruption knowledge intelligence decays and decision-maker composition changes, The AACI considers annual reassessment methodologically appropriate to maintain relevance and reliability.

Where CACE is adopted or recognized by a regulator or supervisory authority, assessment frequency may be aligned with applicable regulatory requirements by written agreement.

CACE does not imply continuous monitoring and does not represent ongoing certification of conduct, governance quality, or compliance status.

Confidentiality and disclosure posture

CACE outcomes are private by default.

The AACI does not publish rankings, scores, or public registries.

Public reference to CACE status, if permitted, is controlled and subject to The AACI disclosure guidelines.
Any broader disclosure, including regulator-mandated disclosure, requires explicit agreement and compliance with applicable law.

Authority and ownership

CACE and CPMT are proprietary methodologies.

The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI) is the exclusive global technical authority for their development, governance, interpretation, and issuance.

Engagement

CACE is offered to institutions that recognize corruption exposure as a governance responsibility of decision-makers.

Entities seeking marketing certification, reputational signaling, or cosmetic validation are not suitable candidates.

Private institutional briefings and formal engagement discussions are available upon request.

Contact: info@theaaci.com

Frequently asked questions

CACE is a deliberately scoped, governance-focused diagnostic instrument.
To preserve clarity and avoid misinterpretation, common questions about scope, use, confidentiality, regulatory relevance, and limitations are addressed separately.

For detailed clarifications, including questions relevant to boards, institutions, and regulators, including stock exchanges and banking and financial sector supervisors, please refer to the CACE frequently asked questions page.

View CACE FAQs →

The FAQ page is intended to clarify scope and boundaries. It does not modify the methodology, interpretation framework, or engagement conditions of CACE.