This Anti-Corruption Helpdesk brief was produced in response to a query from one of Transparency International’s national chapters. The Anti-Corruption Helpdesk is operated by Transparency International and funded by the European Union.
Query
Accounting for roughly one third of government spending on average (OECD, 2015), public procurement represents a strategic government function, involving the buying of public goods, works and services. At the same time, with significant funds involved, complex procedures, numerous stakeholders, and room for discretionary decisions, public procurement is susceptible to high levels of corruption, affecting the value for money of public spending (UNODC, 2013).
Public procurement reforms are crucial to strengthen anti-corruption safeguards throughout the entire procurement cycle. These reforms play a key role in ensuring good governance and transparency in government operations. In the past decade, many countries and international bodies have sought to reform public procurement towards more openness and integrity. Learning from these examples, this Helpdesk Answer presents a selection of good practices for corruption prevention across the three main phases of the public procurement cycle: preparation, purchasing and performance.
Contents
Background
Public procurement within the wider PFM cycle
Overview of the public procurement cycle
Cross-cutting anti-corruption approaches
Good governance and anti-corruption measures across the public procurement cycle