From the Technical Secretariat

Activities

The Oracle of Procurement

Interview with Jorge Luis Gonzalez: Director – INCOP- Ecuador. The expert’s corner Tomás Campero –IDB- Government procurement solutions

ChileCompra Observatory report

Procurement in the world

The European Union

News

June, 2011, # 1

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Inter-American Network on Government Procurement -INGP-

First edition, 2011 The opening words of the first newsletter of the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement had been reserved for Ricardo Salazar, the President elected by the members of the Network at the Annual Conference in Lima. For all of us who are in some way or another linked to the world of public administration, we have learned to live with professional uncertainty and overcome the vagaries inherent in the world of policy. As those of us who constitute the INGP family know, last February the government of Peru decided to replace Ricardo Salazar, president of OSCE and INGP, with Mr. Carlos Salazar. This first message is a great opportunity to welcome the new President and to give him our best wishes towards his great success in this new mandate and also to give our deepest gratitude to the outgoing President for his dedication and service to the INGP. Those of us who had the opportunity to enjoy the kindness and professionalism of Ricardo and of his team are grateful to him for his commitment to the initiatives of the INGP. We must also thank him for his vision regarding the importance of public procurement, which led him to passionately defend the creation of a world-wide network that will replicate what the INGP has brought to our continent, but on a global level. At this point in its development the INGP is able to manage the kinds of natural changes in leadership that take place in the region. The INGP will continually strengthen itself with the arrival of new family members who allow for the reinforcement of different support initiatives within the Network. The countries of the region have given the INGP a mandate to modernize public procurement and to become a permanent space for dialogue and cooperation among the leaders of these systems. For this mission, the new INGP newsletter will undoubtedly be a fundamental instrument, one that will enhance communication among all of the members of this family.

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From the Technical

Secretariat This newsletter is intended to be a tool that promotes continuous contact and that both is useful and rewarding for its audience. It also gives us the first opportunity to communicate with the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement family, an opportune moment to quickly review our cause for celebration and the challenges that push us to continue building this community with such high hopes. Over the course of its first seven years, the INGP has laid foundations for its future activity. It has adopted an institutional image, a charter, and a process of orderly and participatory governance. Above all, it has built the strongest institutional support structure possible, one that relies on a hemispheric network including the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Multilateral Investment Fund of the IDB, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC-DNIC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA-ACDI). As executing agencies for funds of some of the previously mentioned entities, the University of San Martín (Argentina) and FLACSO (Ecuador) have also joined the support team. The Annual Conference of the INGP has been established as the most important meeting place for Latin American and Caribbean professionals in the field of public procurement (800 people participated in Mexico City and 1200 in Lima) and the “Joseph François Robert Marcello” award for leadership in public procurement was launched, as was the e-Government Procurement Observatory. Furthermore, the first class has now graduated from the online course “Public Procurement Management”, the Caribbean region became fully incorporated into the Network and at the same time as the

launch of this newsletter, the INGP’s new website is being launched as well. The valuable support of the institutions mentioned above has also enabled us to support a great number of individual projects, to hold thematic workshops in different countries of the region, and to produce publications on some of the topics of greatest interest to the INGP members. This support has allowed us to position the Network as an international reference point in the field of government procurement, exemplified by the interest shown by those like Erik Nooteboom Head of Unit, Formulation and Enforcement of Public Procurement Law I, International Dimension. European Commission, during the annual meeting in Lima last year. The Technical Secretariat is firmly committed to this being just the beginning. It is the beginning of a long and productive relationship with all institutional partners. It is the beginning of a network with an annual agenda of activities designed by the members to meet the needs of the members. It is the beginning of an Inter-American Network on Government Procurement in which each and every one of the members take part with appreciation for the idea that the more involved they are, the more they can draw from the experience and the knowledge of their colleagues in the region, and the more this will open space for collaboration and joint efforts in the future. From this new virtual window we can look at public procurement in the region in general and at the life of the INGP in particular. We invite all members of this large family to send us ideas, news, reviews, information, and in general, anything that can be a useful tool for public procurement and for all of us that make up the INGP.

The INGP sincerely appreciates the kind collaboration of the different persons and institutions that contributed in this issue.

This support has allowed us to position the Network as an

international reference point in the field of government procurement,

exemplified by the interest shown by those like Erik Nooteboom Head of Unit, Formulation and Enforcement

of Public Procurement Law I, International Dimension. European

Commission…

The newsletter is published monthly by the INGP, through its technical secretariat with the support of the OAS, IDB, MIF, IDRC, and CIDA.

ISSN: pending confirmation

Editorial team

Miguel A. Porrúa

Helena Fonseca Carlos Petrella

e-Government Senior Specialist OAS INGP Technical Secretariat e-Government Specialist OAS INGP Coordinator

Executive Committee

Representative

Javier Dávila

Head of the Unit of Acquisitions and Public Works, Secretariat of Mexico

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Activities

Press click in the activity of your preference INGP Launch of the new INGP website. May, 2011

http://www.ricg.info

Registration was opened for the course ‘Management of Public Procurement’ (Spanish edition), now in its

second edition. Start and end date: from May 17 to July 5, 2011. For more information about registration, and scholarships please

email us to formacion@oas.org or press here.

The Coordinator’s Meeting for the implementation of

the green procurement project in pilot countries is organized by the UNEP/ROLAC and the INGP. Representatives of government institutions and consultants companies involved in the global program will participate. This meeting will take place in Panama City, Panamá. July 11 to 13, 2011.

g

ICT4GP Program: Final stage of the researches being conducted

within the framework of the Program “The impact of internationalization processes and free trade agreement on public procurement in Latin America and the Caribbean countries” and “Savings from the incorporation of ICT in public procurement- Methodology and analysis of cases”. The results will be announced soon.

The sub regional workshop on government procurement for the area of Central America will take place in San Salvador,

El Salvador. June 27-28, 2011.

Other The Public Procurement Show, the UNK’s leading event for

government procurement. The Public Procurement Show will provide you and your colleagues with the latest thinking, a chance to meet new and existing suppliers and to hear developments

shaping public sector procurement. June 14-15, 2011, London.

The ‘Strategic Meeting’ to finalize the strategic plan for the

Commonwealth Public Procurement Network (CPPN), and to incorporate the expectations of the regional chapters will take place in Nairobi, Kenya. May 11-13 , 2011.

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The Oracle of Procurement Interview with Jorge Luis Gonzalez Executive Director of the National Institute for Public Contracting -INCOP- Ecuador

How did you get to the position of Director of Government Procurement in Ecuador? It’s funny, but before 2007 I really wasn’t a procurement expert by any means. I actually didn’t have

much interest in the topic, perhaps because of the way it was practiced. Since 2007, I have become involved in the topic because the Ministry of Industry placed me in charge of working on a project to draft a new law on state contracting. In fulfilling this task I have been involved with various working groups, I have interacted with officials of various public institutions and control agencies as well as with groups of providers and civil society groups that are linked to this area. Eventually I accompanied the project through the approval process in government agencies as well as in the National Assembly. This is why my name was recommended to the President who, in accordance with the technical criteria, was kind enough to appoint me as the Executive Director of the recently created governing body of public procurement.

What are the most complicated situations you have faced in your responsibility as Director over the past year? In 2008, it was the creation of the National System for Public Procurement. It was a short period used for the

construction of the tools and regulations needed to ensure that public procurement would not collapse under the new rules. In 2009, we had to pass tests for security, availability and functionality, a challenge which we eventually overcame. In 2010, I think it was most difficult to establish controls for certain behaviors and practices, some of which are rooted in the past, and also to create an awareness of what is required to effectively correct them. Unfortunately in this area, the INCOP does not have all the weapons and tools at its disposal, and so depends on others.

As Director of INCOP, what challenges concern you most in the immediate future? That we continue to progress in the areas of transparency, support for domestic production opportunities, support for micro, small and medium-sized production units and support for innovation and efficiency in procurement processes and mechanisms. I believe that behind these concepts there is an underlying element of trust from society, and therefore if any of these factors begin to decline then there will be social disappointment. Of course, INCOP also has clearly defined activities and goals to achieve within our institutional plan and this underpins the achievement of the broad objectives.

What have been your greatest achievements since beginning your tenure as Director of INCOP? Building the system using national capacity and open source software was a real challenge that some saw as almost impossible to achieve given the short implementation time and limited resources invested. I think at this point we have one of the most comprehensive systems in the region, it not only covers procurement by the executive, but by the entire state, including all functions and municipalities. In addition, we regulate and manage the procurement of goods, services, consultancy and works. Not everyone does this. We have 14 operational procedures in our Portal, which is both informative and transactional. But beyond these technical aspects, it is very satisfying to see that many of the

In 2009, we had to pass tests for security, availability and functionality,

a challenge which we eventually overcame. In 2010, I think it was most

difficult to establish controls for certain behaviors and practices, some of which are rooted in the past, and

also to create an awareness of what is required to effectively correct them.

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principles and objectives that caused us to set out on the path of reform are being met: we have many more participants and providers in the public market; SMEs (small and medium enterprises) are participating more in the processes and contracts; the work of public procurement has been ordered and modernized and; we have contributed to a climate of transparency in public – private interrelations. When a small supplier of goods tells us that there had been no opportunities before, but that he or she can now sell to the state, we feel that it has been worth it. We get the same feeling when the managers of a large multinational company, one that competes across several countries of the region, congratulate us on our system.

Jorge Luis Gonzalez Winner of the “Joseph François Robert Marcello” award for

leadership in public procurement, 2010

What message can you give from your personal experience that can help to further enhance the award in the future? I think that inside of each country the award can be taken advantage of much more if other levels of government are engaged earlier on. Let me explain: If the ministries or government entities that coordinate the actions of public procurement agencies are notified prior to the next leadership award being given, the award would be of greater relevance inside each country because interest will have been generated. Also, after the award is made there should be an official notification to the government of the recipient by the Network and by the organizations that make up the selection committee. This would greater commitment from the political decision-makers of the respective countries.

Which countries of the region or outside have set benchmarks for the promotion of public procurement through INCOP? In general it is no mystery among our countries that there are pioneers: I refer in particular to Chile in terms of the electronic catalog and to Brazil in terms of the reverse auction. However, we have also paid close attention to developments in other countries that have been making advances and implementing e-procurement even before Ecuador such as Peru, Paraguay, Mexico and others. In reality, Ecuador only recently changed its laws and practices to foster transparent and competitive procurement with the support of information and communication technology.

How do you perceive and value the role of INGP for its countries?

I see the progress of the initiatives generated through INGP very positively. There are now a number of studies that will be very useful for our countries, and there are projects to help us understand international experiences and exchange them in order to obtain mutual benefits. The annual meetings are an important source of information on international best practices, while also contributing to the spread of modern government contracting. For us the INGP has been an excellent meeting and learning space and a reference point.

The annual meetings are an important source of information on international best practices, while also contributing to the spread of modern government contracting. For us the INGP has been

an excellent meeting and learning space and a reference point.

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The expert’s corner

New challenges for the INGP: Regional

Integration in Public Procurement Greater regional integration in public procurement can result in a virtuous circle that will allow for advancement of needed reforms and the generation of greater economic impact in the market. The balance of the last decade shows that we must seek new avenues - and this may be one of the options - if we are to achieve better results in this area.

A positive decade with modest results

We can first think about the progress made very positive. The leaders in the region have done well with the knowledge and resources available to them. Virtually every country has introduced major changes to its procurement systems. Some of the relevant successes we’ve seen in the region include advanced rules established in regulations, electronic platforms, new contracting methods, skills certification programs, and creation of governing bodies. However, looking at the results of these changes or listening to the criticisms can be absorbing. While there are no 100% proven methodologies to measure the outcomes of public procurement systems - which is itself a pending

challenge - it is understood that the results have been modest. For example, in the index of the OECD used to measure the quality of these systems, only three countries in the region receive a rating over two, which is considered an acceptable minimum. Specifically in terms of efficiency, several studies have reported that the level of prices paid by the public sector is usually higher than that of the private sector, with consequent effects on public saving. Moreover, only five of our countries have improved in corruption, as measured by the Index of Transparency International. In conclusion, the balance still is not all positive. The question then is: if we have made many changes and there is not a leader in the region who cannot claim important successes, why have results been only modest? In addition to the complex nature of this area of public policy, one of the possible answers is that we are still learning. Public procurement is still uncharted in terms of tested research, models and formulas. Studies and research are nearly non-existent, especially compared to other areas of public policy. Consequently, we find ourselves alongside ministers and other officials with little knowledge of the topic, which has repercussions when priorities are set, and the measures and resources are established to achieve results.

It is necessary to explore new ways to implement reforms While no one has a magic wand -there probably won’t be one for many years to come- we now have a greater wealth of knowledge and this allows us to identify lessons we have learned for achieving results. Several of these lessons relate to political and economic integration of countries in the region. Indeed, various reports from the countries and their leaders have identified certain critical success factors for implementing reforms such as the positioning of these reforms in public procurement on the country's agenda, the demonstration of the economic impact and/or benefit to SMEs of reforms, the capacity to implement reforms and manage change through incentives and strong institutions, and the training of skilled human resources, among others. All of these factors help generate the political, human and financial resources needed to carry out effective reform in public procurement. A common element of all is that they can be caused or facilitated by greater regional integration. In many cases it has been free trade agreements; exchange of experiences, standards or methodologies; pressure for change from business associations due to commercial interests and interaction with their neighbors; the transfer of knowledge and technology and other factors related regional integration that have motivated the decisions of presidents or ministers and have provided the governing bodies with the resources they need. It seems that even after a decade of change it continues to be very

Tomás Campero, a Chilean citizen, serves as Lead

Procurement Specialist for the Inter-American

Development Bank in Washington DC. He is

assigned to the initiatives of the bank in Information Technology,

Strengthening and the Use of Latin American and Caribbean Procurement

Systems.

From 2002 to 2008 he was Director of Purchasing and Public Contracting

of the Government of Chile, in charge of implementing the Reform to the

Public Procurement Market and of introducing various platforms for

commerce and e-government, including ChileCompra MercadoPúblico,

ChileProveedores and ChileCompra Express. Previously, he served various

roles at the General Secretariat of the Presidency and with the Chilean

Treasury working in the areas of modernization of state and free trade

agreements.

He is a Commercial Engineer from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile,

and received an MA in Global Markets at the Catholic University of Milan.

Tomás Campero Specialist Senior -IDB-

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difficult for each of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to be able tap into all of the knowledge and the political and economic resources needed to implement reforms. Moreover, it will be unlikely that reform in this sector will be given a higher priority than education or health in the future. It is therefore reasonable to expect that resources are not going to be greater in the future nor will be positioning on agendas. Leaders can barely reach the kind of consensus and support needed for reforms, and if they do, it is often only partial or temporary. It is difficult to see any significant reason for this panorama to change.

The alternative of greater regional integration in public procurement All of this suggests that greater regional integration can be a very effective way to progress with reforms. It can allow for the combining of resources, the creation of a stronger appetite and more "pressure" for change. It can also help to generate of economies of scale and to improve the learning curve among all countries. However, deepening regional integration is no easy task. Surely there needs to be important foundations in place for this to occur. In the case of public procurement these foundations exist: in the region this market is worth USD500 billion measured in terms of value of contracts for goods, services and works contracted by the governments. This means thousands of business opportunities and a resulting interest in access to the market and protection. It also means millions in annual trade with associated transaction costs. One can imagine the amount of knowledge duplicated in projects, technical specifications, business documents and other standards. The public procurement market has enormous potential for regional integration. Generating attention and commitment to this potential can have unforeseen effects both for the economies of the region and for the impetus to reform. One way to encourage integration - and reforms as a consequence - is to promote the incorporation of public procurement in the same institutional frameworks that facilitate commerce, investment and trade between countries. First we can look to trade agreements that deal specifically with public procurement, but not necessarily the agreements that we know today. Existing agreements aim mainly to liberalize and protect access to markets by foreign companies. It is certain that changing the traditional protectionist approaches employed in various countries of the region will be very difficult. Furthermore,

there is no evidence to indicate that foreign companies have actually improved access to or the business of public procurement. However, far from rejecting these free trade agreements, the road could instead be redesigned by creating second-generation agreements. There can be new versions of free trade agreements in public procurement, focusing on the signing of commitments that include strong rules and foster more efficient business tools. The goal is not liberalization, but rather to improve the standards by which markets operate. This would also allow for better access and protection of foreign companies, especially of subsidiaries in a country that act as national companies. Another possible mechanism could be to advance to the regional level the development of various standards in government commerce through the relevant standards organizations. This is how standards might be agreed upon for bidding documents, contract formats, purchase orders, invoices and other commercial instruments, which can then become standards within each economy. One key area for integration would also be research and consensus on indicators. In terms of economic and technological studies, regional research institutions could generate common knowledge that would facilitate implementation and avoid the duplication of the costs of reforms. Knowledge is difficult to generate independently and nobody has unlimited resources, therefore, cooperation in this area will be essential. At the same time, indicators could be established to objectively measure the results and the quality of public procurement systems at the regional level, establishing a benchmark to guide companies doing business with the state, and allow for the identification of gaps which governments can then be encouraged to close. An entity with prestige and independence could assume this role.

INGP Leadership Surely there is likely to be many other alternatives and it will be necessary to evaluate each of them. However, the important thing to initially agree on is that the agenda for integration can be benefited from government procurement and vice versa. In short, if we want to progress further with reforms in public procurement and obtain better results, we should explore new routes that are different from those taken in the last decade. A promising option, derived from the lessons that have been learned, is to promote greater regional integration in this area. Taking this path could result in a virtuous circle leading to further reforms that will generate greater economic impact for this market. To encourage initiatives undertaken by the same bodies that promote integration can be a viable alternative for this. Who could lead this effort? Why not the INGP itself?

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Government procurement

solutions The case of Chile http://www.chilecompra.cl

ChileCompra has been an emblematic service in the modernization of the Chilean State. During its first years it has successfully implemented reform to the public procurement market which has been unprecedented in its depth and scope. ChileCompra now continues to push towards objectives that keep Chile on the path of innovation, expanding the market to be open to more providers and thereby ensuring more efficient management of supply. Overview of the public procurement system The public procurement system in Chile was rated 2.74 on a scale of 3 according to the report published by the Inter American Development Bank in 2010

1. This rating

reinforces the strength and commitment to transparency of the system.

User Satisfaction As shown in the figure below, since 2008 there has been a sustained increase in the net satisfaction

2 of purchasers

and suppliers.

1 CPAR 2008, published in 2010, OCDE/DAC methodology.

Positive ratings minus negative ratings, without the inclusion of neutral ratings.

MSE Participation The participation of Micro and Small Enterprises in the public procurement market is double that of these enterprises in the Chilean economy.

Other indicators

Final thought Work revolves around the satisfaction of the users. This is the main objective of ChileCompra. However, this cannot be done in just any way. The mission of ChileCompra is public procurement and therefore its actions to improve user satisfaction are centered on the supply side.

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Observatory report

The eGP MAP, an informational tool designed to support the decision-making of leaders and operators in public procurement is based on the information shared by operators of national procurement systems. The most relevant data are presented through a georeferencing interface - a map - which facilitates the visualization of the information. This database is freely available and allows interested parties to learn about, compare and understand the status of procurement systems in the region. The tool appears as an interactive map, available on the INGP website and the e-GP Community of Practice. eGP MAP is an initiative of the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement (INGP), the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). About the sources The database exists thanks to the information provided by national bodies responsible for procurement systems. The data collected has allowed multilateral banks to update the old e-GP Maturity Model and provide information related to each national public procurement market as well as information at the national level and on institutional capacity, regulatory frameworks and interoperability. About the website e-GP MAP is a bilingual site: English / Spanish, labeled in both languages. Most information is presented in the language of the corresponding country with the exception of fields that require the submission of information in both languages.

There are two user roles: site administrator and country administrator. The latter is the only one able to update his or her specific country’s information. The initial version of the map covers Latin America and the Caribbean and is ready to be used in other regions and countries. The interactivity of the map and its technical design allow the site to load on any platform and be available through any browser. Work methodology The initial design of the tool necessitated a general survey of available information from secondary sources, such as general information about a country's gross domestic product in the previous year, its population, government, political structure, and other information. This information is then given to officials delegated by the members of the Network for validation. Additionally, information was requested concerning the status of public procurement in the country: forms of contracting, regulatory frameworks, amounts of purchases, numbers of potential suppliers, numbers of purchasers, etc. The central information generated by the tool comes from eGP data; this is data that comes from the electronic procurement systems of each country, including technical, strategy and performance data. Collected and classified information is also subjected to an indexing analysis, which allows for the establishment of a knowledge base on the status of procurement and eGP in the region.

The interactivity of the map and its technical design allow the site to load

on any platform and be available through any browser.

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Indexes of the eGP MAP This involves the measure of six indexes: eGP Coverage Index (state agencies) The proportion of state agencies that have registered in the system, out of all institutions that are legally required to use the system.

eGP Usage Index (state agencies) This index represents the proportion of entities that have used the eGP, out of all those registered in the system.

eGP Coverage Index (providers) Proportion of active businesses that are registered to participate in the eGP system

Public Procurement Index Estimation of the proportion of the public procurement market out of the entire national economy, using GDP as a marker for the latter.

eGP Value Index Proportion of the amounts managed through eGP in relation to the total volume of public procurement transactions in the country

eGP Index Proportion of amounts managed by the eGP system in relation to the size of the economy measured through GDP.

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Procurement in the world The European Union The EU directives on public procurement

Latin America should attempt to understand the legal framework that the 27 countries comprising the EU have put in place for government procurement. We should do this to learn how this framework operates and to generate better commercial exchange options for the purchases made by government in each region. The aim of the EU directives and its primary regulatory body is to promote open and transparent competition, which is delivered through public bidding throughout the entire European Union (370,000 million Euros in 2007 or about 500,000 million US dollars), for municipalities, ministries or companies that have special or exclusive rights (an airport for example). The integrated text of the Public Procurement Directives, No. 2004/18/CE, now in force throughout the Community, aims to simplify and update the current rules, facilitating electronic procurement and ensuring the use of procurement procedures. The procurement laws of the 27 countries of the European Union must be compatible with the directives and the Agreement on Government Procurement of the World Trade Organization. Under the Directives, offers must be made by one of the following procedures: open procedures or restricted procedures which involve several differences in the procedure and timing. There is the possibility for

negotiation in very specific cases, such as after disasters or if no company responded to a first bidding attempt. There is a special procedure called competitive dialogue. This procedure is used in situations with particularly complex contracts that require the development of specifications. All EU announcements are to be sent first to the Office of Official Publications of the European Union which operates the TED website (http://ted.europa.eu). The announcements are submitted in their original language and are summarized and translated into the other 22 languages. You can, for example, read an Italian announcement in Spanish. In addition, the EU has developed the CPV, a numerical coding system which identifies tenders in all languages of the EU. To prevent discrimination in favor of local suppliers, the criteria by which suppliers can be selected are specified in the Directive. In the specifications or in the announcement, reference is made to technical standards. Preferably these will be international standards or, if there are none, European standards. The brands or product names are generally not admissible although their use may be justified in exceptional cases, and in these cases always with the words 'or equivalent'. It is recommended that the contracts be awarded not on the basis of price alone, but to the most economically advantageous bid in accordance with criteria relating to the subject matter of the contract.

Some examples of the criteria are as follows: date of delivery and price, cost effectiveness, aesthetic quality, functional characteristics, technical merit and post-sales service. As part of the new guidelines, the weighting as relayed to the bidders in the announcement must actually be applied in the award criteria in order to demonstrate transparency in the evaluation process. It is important, therefore, to indicate the weighting of each of the criteria selected for the contract announcement or contract documents or, in the case of a competitive dialogue procedure, in the descriptive document.

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When the criteria of the state are not available, it is important to indicate the criteria in descending order of importance in the announcement or contract documents or, in the case of a competitive dialogue procedure, in the descriptive document.

Departments should record the following information, which is required for compiling the annual report for the "Higher Education Funding Council for England" and includes: the number and value of contracts above the threshold, the type of goods and services purchased, if the open, restricted, competitive dialogue or negotiated procedure was used or the nationality of the provider selected. The directives cover the procurement of supplies, public works and most services (part A services). The contracting for part B services takes place under a very flexible procurement regime. Part A covers services such as telecommunications, financial services, insurance, refuse collection and cleaning contracts. They require contract announcement to be placed and are generally managed centrally. Part B covers services such as hotel and restaurant services and legal services that require a different process to be followed.

This set of notes should serve as a reference point to begin to understand the issue of government procurement within the European Union, which no doubt constitutes an opportunity for our region to learn and to capitalize on experience to improve how we face the same challenge in Latin America. For more information, visit http://ted.europa.eu

EU Public Procurement (http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/index_en.htm)

Revised and approved by:

European Commission Directorate General Internal Market and Services

Formulation of Public Procurement Policy I; International aspects

There is the possibility for negotiation in very specific cases, such as after

disasters or if no company responded to a first bidding attempt.

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News Press click in the new of your preference

INGP VI Annual Conference on Government Procurement in the Americas: Within the INGP framework of

activities, the Annual Conference was held in Lima, Peru on the 13th and 15

th of October, 2010. Highlights include the

participation of approximately 1,200 people belonging to the public and private sectors as well as the attendance of several representatives of other organizations that have expressed interest in learning about the experience of the Network. Other international agencies also participated, such as UNCITRAL, the European Commission, UNOPS, UNEP and the GS1 Peru.

Presentation of the “Joseph François Robert Marcello” award for leadership in public procurement

to Jorge Luis González, Director of Ecuador’s National Institute for Public Contracting -INCOP-, during the VI Conference on Government Procurement in the Americas in Lima, Perú.

Course "Management of Public Procurement": In November

2010, the first edition of the course on public procurement jointly organized by the INGP and the OAS was implemented. The course involved the participation of 112 officials from 14 countries of the region.

For more information about registration, and scholarships please email us to formacion@oas.org or press here.

The ICT4GP Program contracted junior’s researches in member

countries of the INGP to work as liaisons between the public procurement offices, the TTGs and the rest of the Program’s research.

The workshop ‘Collaboration and Integration, the path to the development of government procurement in the Caribbean’ was held on 12

th and 13

th April, 2011, in Montego Bay, Jamaica,

and included over 150 public sector professionals and experts from Jamaica, and speakers from Latino America, Caribbean region, Europe and Australia.

In the frame of the Collaborative workshop in the Caribbean, the

ICT4GP Program launched a TTG for the Caribbean countries on

“Vendor Registration”

Agreement between Jamaica and the IDB was signed for grant

funding amounting of US $900,000.00, to advance the development of Jamaica’s e-Procurement. April 13

th, 2011.

www.ricg.info

Organization of American States - Inter-American Development Bank - Multilateral Investment Fund - International Development Research Centre - Canadian International Development Agency

15

June, 2011, # 1

The e-GP Working Group was created to promote the

development, modernization and expansion of electronic Public Procurement systems (e-GP) in the Americas. The countries interested in be part of this group are: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Grenada, Panamá, and Uruguay.

Countries

Argentina New search engine for Sustainable Public Procurement: The National Procurement Office which

reports to the Chief of Cabinet Ministers of Argentina has just introduced the Monotributistas Sociales search engine that optimizes search criteria ... read more ..

Chile is the first Latin American country with a public procurement system accepted by the IDB: Minister of

Finance, Rodrigo Alvarez, Director of ChileCompra, Felipe Goya and a mission of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Chile, signed today a report which states that the Public Procurement System in Chile now meets internationally accepted guidelines for practices in the field ... read more ...

Peru Second meeting of the OECD/DAC Task Force on Procurement hosted by the Peruvian

Government represented by the ‘Organismo Supervisor de las Contrataciones del Estado’ (OSCE) of the ‘Ministerio de Economia y Finanzas’ (Ministry of Economy and Finance) in collaboration with the OECD/DAC Task Force on Procurement, the World Bank and the support of the Spanish Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean. May 4-6, 2011 in Cuzco, Peru.

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