Description     

This is a robust web based mechanism; developed on the premise that ICTs can be effectively used to encourage, promote and support citizens participation in the Public Procurement process; in a way that achieves the objectives of a transparent, accountable and efficient public procurement system; one which delivers value for money, increases the quality of public services delivered, ultimately reducing poverty, increasing socio-economic development and the dignity of life for citizens.

Organization(s)  The Public and Private Development Centre

Organization Type(s) Non Governmental Organization; Civil Society Organization

Country(ies) Nigeria

Primary thematic focus - entry window  Contract monitoring to enhance openness accountability and effectiveness of public contracts

Sub-thematic focus Use of ICT to improve performance of procurement systems

Sector(s) Public sector especially MDG focused public sectors

Innovation

The use of a central web-based mechanism to collate, analyze and make sense of feedback from procurement monitors spread across Nigeria is an innovative way to ensure that the objectives of accountability and transparency in the procurement process are achieved; because it provides evidence based reports to enforce compliance

Design

The Procurement Monitoring Portal Observatory was developed to support citizens monitoring of the Nigerian Federal procurement process in a way that achieves the statutory objectives of transparency and accountability; by providing the media, regulatory and oversight stakeholders with evidence based reports that will be used in detecting early warning signals of procurements that are likely to fail and providing information for compliance with practices set up to ensure optimal delivery of services and infrastructure. However there were challenges; one of which was/is that few CSO’s have technical knowledge, skills and resources required to monitor procurement, with an uneven geographical distribution of CSOs with the needed capacity. CSO procurement monitors therefore, needed a central mechanism to collate, analyze and make sense of feedback from the various monitoring activities. Results of monitoring are needed to support the oversight functions of the regulators, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and also the legislature.

Against this background, the procurement portal observatory, a robust web based analytical tool, is being developed mainly to:

• Provide access for submission of feedback reports from procurement monitors across the nation and eventually the continent.
• Perform a wide range of procurement analyses and dissemination of results to designated bodies/persons.
• Provide real time procurement related legal advice to investigative journalists and procurement monitors with the use of a blog. 
• Improve capacity of procurement observers and other procurement stakeholders through online training and tutorials.
• Provide accurate, timely and detailed information for interested person(s) on the Nigerian procurement system.

Implementation

The procurement portal observatory has been innovatively designed with careful thought and consideration to the needs of the various stakeholders in the procurement process including: 

• Investigative journalists, CSOs, professional bodies (Procurement observers)
• The Bureau of Public Procurement (Regulators)
• Federal ministries, departments and agencies (procuring entities)
• Contractors/suppliers/bidders
• Development communities
• Nigerian citizens

In its development, advocacy and capacity building to various stakeholders (CSOs, professionals, the regulators, public procurement officers, legislators) was held. This was to ensure that they were able to use the system to meet their information needs, that the design framework meets the information needs of various stakeholders and can be scaled up. 
The portal is broadly categorized into: 

• Descriptive pages (open)
• Participatory, analytical and technical pages (restricted).

The descriptive pages are mainly for information receiving and sharing. Access is open to the general public and they include regular website tab displays and an open source library. 
The participatory, analytical and technical pages on the portal are focused on generating procurement reports, offering online procurement training and providing procurement-related legal advice and access is restricted to verified procurement monitors. To ensure that procurement information can be reported with uniformity, a standard checklist was developed based on the benchmarks in the Public Procurement Act and in consultation with representatives from the various identified stakeholders. 
To ensure shared ownership and synergy with existing development programs, this project set up an independent Advisory board for the Portal. The board is made up of representatives from the development sector, regulators, the media and legislature. The board taps into the wide experience of its members to ensure that the Portal remains relevant to all stakeholders. As implementation progresses, the reports from the portal are providing early warning signals of procurement failure in specific Ministries. Monitors are freely posting reports of wrongdoing and non-compliance to this forum where regulators themselves are. Also, summarized analysis of reports from the portal is being sent to regulators. This supports the regulator’s early intervention and the legislators to prevent wrong-doing; thus improving budget implementation.
The portal is a work in progress.

Outcomes       

The project has: 

• Established a “Procurement Observatory portal” which is an ICT web portal for collation, analysis and e-reporting of citizen led procurement monitoring in Nigeria; providing 24 hour access for virtual submission and collective analysis of procurement monitoring reports by registered monitors, equipped with a free online training tool and a blog for providing free legal advice to investigative journalists and monitors and has an open source library.
• Trained over 120 procurement monitors across Nigeria. 
• Received 135 procurement monitors reports on the portal which have been collated, analyzed and made available to stakeholders such as the regulators, relevant legislative committees and development partners. 
• Provided an open source of procurement related resources for various stakeholders such as three series of procurement reports, guidelines on accessing procurement information, procurement training tools and manuals (see http://www.library.procurementmonitor.org/)
• Used free and open software (FOSS) to mobilize and coordinate the engagement of CSOs with the public sector on arising issues of accountability and transparency.
• Used submitted reports to carry out evidence based advocacy to Federal Ministries on the challenge of accessing procurement information; leading to the formation of Guidelines for accessing procurement information (See Below)  
• Reports from the portal placed on the list-serve continue to guide regulators to areas of concern and support their ability to prevent, detect and investigate wrong doing.
• However, many more trained procurement monitors are needed to ensure that the system becomes truly transparent and accountable across the public sector.

Lessons Learned

• We should not assume that people will automatically use technology. Programs should have incentives/to encourage people to meaningfully participate in development projects that use technology. 
• We have found that people find it easier to monitor procurement in subject matters they are already interested in. When this approach is followed, training and mobilization is more effective. 
• Program initiators need to be careful about claiming success for the outcomes of programs. Often, public regulators, whose support you often need feel more comfortable and willing to work with the program in the longer haul when the successes are credited to them rather than to non state actors. It is therefore, always good to acknowledge their contributions in regulation and enforcement of policies even if CSOs contributed to the efforts. In truth, development projects are only truly sustainable and effective through the contribution of all stakeholders regardless of who initiated the process. Every body has a role to play.

Author's Organization  Public and Private Development Centre (www.procurementmonitor.org)

Attachment(s): SAMPLE PROCUREMENT REPORT.pdf, Guidelines

Download case story