DIGITIZING IMPLEMENTATION MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROJECT TECHNOLOGY DRIVES PUBLIC PROCUREMENT REFORM APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION July 28 June 30 $55 million Central Procurement Technical Unit, Implementation 2017 2022 Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) OVERVIEW Public procurement is among the most significant issues affecting public sector performance. Appropriate and efficient use of public fund for procurement is important for Bangladesh, like any other country, to achieve its growth aspirations. Public procurement is not just a mechanism for executing transactions but an integral part of strategic development process. Although the landscape of procurement has been reshaped in the last several years, yet several challenges remain particularly in the areas of VOICES implementation delays, ineffective contract administration, and inadequate capacity for quality project implementation Through e-tendering we monitoring. can submit tenders from our The World Bank is supporting the government of Bangladesh with the Digitizing Implementation Monitoring own home. I have won over 40-crore and Public Procurement Project (DIMAPPP) to improve public procurement performance and enhance taka work through this fair and transparent capacity for implementation monitoring of development programs/projects. With this intervention, the manner. The Kanashakula-Bhuttibhatshala entire public sector procurement, covering over 1300 agencies, will come under the electronic road is my first work through e-tendering. government procurement (e-GP) system and implementation of all development programs/projects will be monitored digitally. MD. ASHRAFUL ALAM Contractor, Sherpur District 62 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE Procurement delays especially in large value contracts coupled with delayed project implementation affects the FUTURE timely delivery of services with quality, thereby impacts the achievement of development goals of the government. Through interface of the e-GP system The introduction of digital technology in procurement helped improve performance of a few key agencies who piloted with the Accountant General’s office electronic procurement (E-GP). But vast majority of the public agencies remained outside the scope. Key challenges include for payment system and the smart inconsistent use of IT-based solutions in procurement, poor contract management and administration, absence of systemic NID card, the National Board of measurement of procurement performance by all agencies, inadequate capacity of procurement management and Revenue is expecting to bring about inadequate skill and know how in monitoring project implementation. With the proposed enhancement of e-GP system and a transformational change in the digital monitoring, a transformational change is expected in the development programs when the entire public sector will procurement practice of the country. have on-line uniform and consistent framework with built-in digital tracking mechanism from the start to end of the project. The project monitoring information system (e-PMIS) will be integrated with associated electronic platforms of the government to provide a uniform APPROACH structure across the country for programs The project aims to help Bangladesh expand e-GP to all public sector organizations and improve capacity to monitor implementation monitoring. implementation of development projects and programs using digital technology. For this, it provides support for restructuring of the existing procurement nodal agency, Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU), into an authority with more autonomy, enhancing the scope of e-GP covering all public sector organizations, professionalizing procurement management including the introduction of open contracting data standards (OCDS), citizen engagement in monitoring and citizen portal. It also also encompasses behavioural change communication and strengthening capacity of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) to monitor implementation of all development programs/ projects digitally. Necessary law to establish the Authority, including amendments of the existing Public Procurement Act 2006 will be in place while a strategic approach to bring in all public sector organization under the uniform framework of e-GP and digital implementation monitoring (electronic Project Management Information System, e-PMIS) will be pursued. The project has an extensive program for professionalizing public procurement officials with each having a unique tracking number. The project has been also piloting citizen’s engagement for monitoring procurement contracts at rural areas, which will be complimented by a citizen portal containing disclosable information of development program contracts. EXPECTED RESULTS Reducing procurement Enhancing invitation Making citizen monitoring of procurement contracts lead time to 70 days of bids in e-GP to effective in 45 sub-districts Monitoring at least 45% of from the existing 100 days 75% from 2% development program implementation digitally THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 63