Topic Guide: Public Procurement

Key performance indicators for public procurement. OECD, forthcoming. http://www.oecd.org/corruption...

The OECD’s experience in working with public procurement shows that a sound procurement system includes: a) procurement rules and procedures that are simple, clear and ensure access to procurement opportunities; b) effective institutions to conduct procurement procedures and conclude, manage and monitor public contracts; c) appropriate electronic tools; d) suitable, in numbers and skills, human resources to plan and carry out procurement processes; and e) competent contract management. In 2013, the OECD commenced a process to develop a set of indicators to measure the performance of public procurement systems and their evolution over time. Four areas for the development of indicators were identified: 1) efficiency of the public procurement cycle; 2) openness and transparency of the public procurement cycle; 3) professionalism of the public procurement workforce; and 4) contract performance management.

New ways to measure institutionalised grand corruption in public procurement. Fazekas, M., Tóth, I.J., U4, 2014. http://www.u4.no/publications/...

While there have been many qualitative accounts of high-level corruption in public contracting, it is only recently that quantitative indicators have become available. By making use of big data generated by governments on contracts, companies and individuals, this publication outlines a new approach to develop quantitative indicators which can be used to guide policy intervention and support control of corruption.

Methodology for assessing procurement systems (MAPS). OECD DAC, 2010. http://www.oecd.org/developmen...

MAPS is a tool which developing countries and donors can use to assess the quality and effectiveness of procurement systems. Two types of indicators are used for the assessment: base-line indicators, looking at the legal framework; and compliance/performance indicators, assessing procurement in practice. As of 2011, MAPS has been applied to more than 60 developing countries and has proven to be a useful tool to identify weaknesses and to agree on a strategy for reforming the public procurement systems of a country.

Civil society procurement monitoring (CSPM) tool. Transparency International-USA (TI-USA). Available for download here.

CSPM is a web-based tool that is meant to support CSOs or individuals who want to monitor public procurement for red flags for corruption in their respective countries. The tool was designed by TI-USA in cooperation with CSOs in Indonesia and the Philippines, support from procurement and IT consultants and funding from the Governance Partnership Facility, administered by the World Bank. The CSPM tool, and particularly the monitoring assistant, its main component, adopt a forensic approach to procurement monitoring, by focusing specifically on the red flags of corruption that can be detected by CSOs, considering the information to which they normally have access.