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
What role does technology/e-procurement play in allowing or hampering transparency and accountability and reducing corruption in public procurement? Please provide examples of good practice/case studies from other regions and countries
Note
This Helpdesk answer is also available in French and Spanish.
Content
1. The role of technology in public procurement
2. Can e-procurement increase transparency and accountability and reduce corruption?
3. Country examples: Successful e-procurement in Albania, Georgia and South Korea
4. References
Summary
Information and communication technology has been increasingly used by governments in the acquisition of goods and services, the allocation of contracts to bidders and in contract management (e-procurement). The benefits of e-procurement are many and include improvements in market access and competition, promotion of integrity, reduced information costs; easier access to information, and increased transparency and accountability, among others. In this context, e-procurement also has the capacity to prevent and reduce the opportunities for corruption in the different stages of public procurement. Countries such as Albania, Georgia and South Korea have improved their procurement systems and mitigated the opportunities for corruption by publishing information on procurement online, standardising and streamlining processes, and facilitating control and oversight over the procurement cycle.
Nevertheless, the establishment of e-procurement as a stand-alone reform is unlikely to bring about positive transformational results. Countries have to invest in coherent legal frameworks, training and oversight capacity to ensure that the potential benefits of e-procurement in terms of reducing corruption are exploited to their maximum.
Authors
Thomas Luijken; Maíra Martini, Transparency International, [email protected]Reviewers
Dieter Zinnbauer PhD, Transparency InternationalDate
28/08/2014
