Standard+International+Procurement+Procedures

SUBSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES


 * DOMAIN/PROCUREMENT&PAYMENT/PROCUREMENT/UNIFORM STANDARDS **


 * Uniform Standards in the public & Private Sectors **

Basic Procedural Requirements for international (cross-border) procurement have become standardized among many agencies, governments and commercial enterprises in nations and economic unions with mature economies. Developing countries can adopt a similar regimen independently, as part of their entrance requirements into an economic union such as the EC or as a prerequisite to their receipt of loan monies from an international donor agency. The following is one of many examples provided by the World Bank in qualifying recipients. Documentation and procedural requirements are simplified for efficiency and harmonized for efficacy.

The procurement regulatory framework should preferably address all government contracts (including those that may be financed out of fiscal resources, e.g., concessions). Transparency is best achieved by government agencies through the use of effective advertising, public bid opening, objective bid evaluation criteria, independent evaluation consistent with the stipulations of the bidding documents, award to a qualified bidder having submitted the lowest evaluated bid without negotiations, publication of award results, fair and speedy protest handling process, and disclosure of signed contracts and prices. Procedural rules play an important role, particularly when it comes to open competitive bidding. In turn, these procedural rules impose the use of well-formulated bidding documents that will result in bid submissions free from qualifications. The same rules should exclude any provision or mechanism that could affect the transparency of the process. Procurement procedures other than open competitive bidding must be restricted within appropriate limits. Modern procurement regulations attempt to provide losing bidders with an effective way to submit contract award protests. More generally, private partners in government contracts are expected to be proactive in implementing competitive mechanisms and should be the guardians of those mechanisms exactly in the same manner as government agencies. Private partners must be offered fair contract conditions. Certain institutional mechanisms have a critical role to play in the balance between partners and in the transparency of the process. To the extent that exceptions and waivers are needed by a government agency in order to proceed in a timely manner with its procurement, procurement regulations may include specific exceptions to contract law—for example, termination for convenience. The regulations should also provide for any waiver needed in the context of international agreements. The following elements are recommended as relevant to TF improvement: INSERT 8
 * **Uniform Scope of the regulatory framework **
 * **Transparency **
 * **Balance between public and private sectors **
 * **Exceptions and waivers **