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Reforming Public Procurement -- Syquia
The regional training programs would also have to be regularly monitored and evaluated, to determine
the effectiveness of both the trainings conducted and the trainers themselves.
6.3 The Professionalization Program
Professionalism within any procuring agency is fostered by strengthening human capital, information
capital, and bringing about a climate for positive action.
Improving Human Capital
Human capital refers to employee skill levels, and this is influenced by formal education and training.
In the field of procurement, specific duties and technical competencies are attached to each job
function. Therefore, the professionalization program would involve a certificate course that caters to
the needs of each function, e.g., top-management concerns, bidding and contracting procedures,
contract administration and monitoring concerns, budget concerns, internal audit and control
concerns. It is also important to include the private sector and external auditors, to ensure that all the
stakeholders have the same understanding and interpretation of the law, and regular training needs
assessments for all stakeholders. The frequency, scope and content of the certificate course would
have to be based upon, and may subsequently have to be refined or revised depending on, the results
of the training needs assessments. These assessments may be conducted in line with the Agency
Procurement Performance Indicators exercise, which is discussed below (Step 5)
Armed with a needs assessment, once the government gains sufficient experience in its regional
procurement training program, it can then take steps to develop this into a certificate program. All
public procurement officers would need a certificate issued by a credible institution certifying that
s/he has successfully completed a government accredited procurement course before being authorized
to perform public sector procurement. This certificate course would cover more subjects than the
regional procurement training program, and would thus take longer – with a course timeframe ranging
from two to four weeks. Although the primary targeted participants for the certificate course would
be mid-level public procurement officers and staff, the course can also be expanded to cover the top
management and executives of an agency so that they are aware of the reforms, as well as the private
sector. With respect to the latter, it should be noted that the success of every procurement transaction
depends not only on the competence and expertise of the procurement staff involved, but also on the
confidence of the bidders to participate in the activity and their knowledge of the rules. Obviously,
the certificate requirement would only apply to the mid-level procurement officers and staff in
government.
As the program is intended to address various types of audiences, three custom-tailored programs may
be developed:
1. The first is a short (one week or less) course to familiarize top management and executives in
national and local in institutions with the general principles of project and procurement
management and operations, the new procurement law and subsequent updates. The course
should focus more on the salient features of the law, and on the critical elements of
procurement decision making, such as project planning and budgeting, and on monitoring and
evaluating procurement performance.
2. The second is a longer course for mid-level officers engaged in procurement operations and
related tasks—such as members of bidding committees, the staff of procuring units, buyers,
engineers, internal auditors, accountants and budget officers, as well as external auditors—
covering the principles of project and procurement operations and management, including the
methods of procurement, the basic elements of sound technical specifications, bid opening
and evaluation, contract administration, the hiring of consultants, and anti-corruption, among
others.
Fiscal Reform and Economic Governance Project 17