OECD Recommendation
Foster transparent and effective stakeholder participation.
- Develop and follow a standard process when formulating changes to the public procurement system.
- Engage in transparent and regular dialogues with suppliers and business associations to present public procurement objectives and to assure a correct understanding of markets.
- Provide opportunities for direct involvement of relevant external stakeholders in the procurement system.
Related Principles
Challenges to public procurement related to transparency include:
- Laws and policies, general information for suppliers, select and award criteria, and contract award decisions are usually proactively disclosed; procurement plans and contract modifications less
- Transparency and openness, while a necessary condition, is not sufficient to ensure public participation (civil society needs a specific communication and proper incentives, including trained manpower and sufficient budget to participate in procurement monitoring for instance)
- Few countries directly involve citizens in high-value or complex procurement processes that entail significant risks or mismanagement
Country Cases
Standard processes when formulating changes to the public procurement system
- Challenges in the development of the Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BBI)
- Early engagement in Canada
- Engagement with SMEs to reduce Red Tape in Ireland
- Italy - Engaging with suppliers
- Stakeholder engagement during the construction of Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 (UK)
Transparent and regular dialogues with suppliers and business associations to present public procurement objectives and to assure a correct understanding of markets
Opportunities for direct involvement of relevant external stakeholders
Reviews
- Fostering accountability through transparency and civil society scrutiny (extract of Public Procurement Review – IMSS, Mexico)
- Involving Peruvian suppliers more in the procurement process (extract of the Public Procurement in Peru)
Other institutions’ work on participation
- E.Bohórquez et al. (eds.), A New Role for Citizens in Public Procurement (Transparencia Mexicana, 2012)
- Civil Society Procurement Monitoring Tool (Transparency International)