Enhance civic participation (GHTNS0004)

Commitment ID

GHTNS0004

Commitment Title

Enhance civic participation in procurement and contract management

Problem

Public Procurement Act, 2016 (Act 936) as amended, makes provision for public institutions to engage citizens at some levels of public procurement of goods, services and works. Public institutions over the years have complied with the usage of the Act and ensured the reduction of procurement infractions as possible.  However, there are still challenges with regards to citizens participation in the procurement process and disclosure of contract information to gain the trust and confidence of citizens in the management of procurement and contracts.  Citizens are inadequately involved in project initiation and planning stages, contracting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation which their consequences have been delay in project execution, substandard projects and abandoned projects. During the co-creation process, about 85% of the participants engaged expressed little knowledge of procurement processes and lacked understanding of information on public infrastructure. There are also inadequate avenues available for citizens to gain access to procurement data and contract information such as contract award details and processes, contract sums of projects, project execution and completion details. This as a result has further impeded civic participation in the procurement process and demand for accountability and value for money in projects delivery.

Status quo

There is an existing mechanism to include stakeholders or direct beneficiaries of a project from the initiation/planning stage to site selection, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages of the procurement process. This mechanism needs to be reinforced to make it more effective by building up the capacities of members to be up to speed with new innovations that will enhance transparency in the procurement process and contract management. There is also inadequate disclosure of information to prospective bidders or suppliers, though the initial stage of the public procurement process is advertised in the dailies. However, the disclosure of information throughout the procurement and contract management process to citizens during the selection of suppliers for a project is not thoroughly done and makes it more discretionary and less participatory.

Action

Develop a progressive open contracting system to ensure the participation of citizens at all levels of the procurement process to enhance transparency and accountability.
Design a template/handbook for citizens to facilitate their understanding of the public procurement process, and contract management, and build their capacities to demand accountability of projects for value for money.
Adopt the use of technology to facilitate timely publication and reporting of relevant issues on procurement and contracting, as well as provide reliable data for use by stakeholders to enhance feedback on all stages of the procurement process.
Conduct participatory monitoring and evaluation at the start of the commitment, mid-implementation, and at the final stage to measure the level of understanding of the stages.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

Expected Outcomes

1. Increased public participation and inclusion in the procurement and contracting process.
2. Improved technology and innovation that limit human interface, expand access to procurement opportunities and improve assessment of the processes for transparency.
3. Enhanced capacity of bidders/suppliers and citizens in open contracting through education and training to build trust, inspire confidence and influence negative perception in contract management and public procurement.
4. Enhanced disclosure of procurement data, contract records and information to ensure citizens’ understanding and satisfaction of procurement processes to promote transparency.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

This commitment relates to the government’s goal to ensure fairness, transparency, and non-discrimination in public procurement in order to promote a competitive local industry and increase the confidence of varied stakeholders in public procurement processes.

Primary Policy Area

Open Contracting, Public Procurement

Primary Sector

Cross-sectoral, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?