Strengthening Procurement at the Sub-national Level (SPSL)

 គម្រោង “ពង្រឹងអភិបាលកិច្ចលទ្ធកម្មថ្នាក់ក្រោមជាតិ”

Objectives

Phase I

• To build the capacity of local institutions to effectively monitor provincial public procurement and to document irregularities for improvement.
• To increase awareness within the business community of provincial procurement rules, regulations and opportunities.
• To increase civic and private sector engagement in provincial public procurement processes.

Phase II

• To deepen and increase the awareness among the public on citizen’s roles and rights in monitoring of state procurement system.
• To enhance public-private collaboration and partnership in monitoring public program implementation of contracting agencies through participatory monitoring approach of the procurement process and in public private dialogue.
• To set mechanism for private public engagement through establishing Social Accountability tools for private citizen engagement through the information disclosure mechanism and a Complaint Handling on the procurement system.

Project Outcomes

• Forming a Joint Procurement Monitoring Committee (JPMC).
• Building the capacity of the established JPMC to fulfill their roles.
• Helping the JPMC to begin it works.
• Problems with public procurement documented by JPMC at target project area and tracked by SILAKA.
• The JPMC’s strategy and its action plan developed.
• Enhanced capacity of the JPMC members and relevant stakeholders on existing law, regulations and rules related to public procurement and other delivered skilled.
• Membership growth of the JPMC.
• Number of effective communication of the JPMC, its members on documented issues with provincial authority.
• Receiving the support for the project implementation from the national level of Secretariat of the National Commission of the Democratic Development implementation on the implementation of the project. This authorization has signaled to the provincial Governor office to facilitate the implementation of the project.
• Two districts administration with a total of 3 communes and 3 sangkats were selected and also engaged in the project;
• A local NGO, MODE, has been engaged in a partnership for the implementation of the project;
• A series of sensitization to the project through a form of orientation sessions with the local communes and targeted district authorities. These sensitization session have engaged a group of people to build up a list of potential members of the Joint Procurement Monitoring Committee (JPMC).  A group of mixed people from Provincial Authorities, NGO, and private citizens are formed to select the members of the JPMC. The sessions built to Engaged in the discussion on the procurement law and process in their localities.
• A training session on the procurement law and systems were conducted in two target locations, with a total of 27 participants. Participants were identified as potential members of the JPMC and have experiences dealing with the procurement system in their locations.
• An Awareness Campaign was planned to further the awareness on the importance of the citizen involvement in the local governance system and what procurement system is and how it operates.
• These above activities serve as foundation for the establishment of a local network known as the Joint Procurement Monitoring Committee (JPMC), to collect and disseminate information on procurement system and observation on the bidding process. The initiative should move forward to form a collective action among the engaging local communities, local authorities, and business companies in monitoring programs implementation at field level. Such model will be adopted to strengthen the procedures and process for procurement to select capable and credible contractors to provide public services in accordance with agreed outcomes listed in the procurement policies prescribed by the National Governmet

Target area

•  Kampong Thom Province
•  Stungsen Municipality
•  Kampong Svay district

 Target Group

•  Citizens
•  Private sectors
•  NGOs
• Commune/Sangkat Procurement Committee (CPC) of 03 Sangkats: Sangkat Archarleak, O’Kuntor, Srayov in Stungsen municipality and 03 communes: Kampongsvay, Trappaignrussey and Sankor commune.

Project Partner

Minority Organization for Development of Economy (MODE) in Kampong Thom province.

 Project Activities

Phase I

I. Forming the Joint Procurement Monitoring Committee (JPMC)

Output 1.1. Establishment of a JPMC

•  Meeting with key stakeholders to inform about the project at provincial and district levels.
•  Conducting orientation workshops in 3 Sangkat of Stung Sen town and 3 communes of Kampong Svay district to build awareness of this initiative to the local business contacts.
•  Campaign with the community people.
•  Form JPMC working groups

II. Building the capacity of the JPMC to fulfill these roles

Output 2.1 Capacity Building Workshop (CBW)

•  Workshop on existing law, rules & regulations relevant to procurement practices in Cambodia with case studies by independent NGO/CBO.
•  Public-Private Dialogue (PPD), Policy Advocacy and Good Governance (GG).
•  Facilitation strategic planning & communication skills of the JPMC.

Output 2.2 Coaching to the JPMC Leadership

•  Conduct monthly meeting of the JPMC.
•  Interface meeting of the JPMC with authority.

Output 2.3 Main Roles of the established JPMC

• Observe and monitor the procurement process.
• Advocate good governance to local authorities (CC, provincial & District official), private sector and community.
• Documentation of monitoring information.

III. Helping the JPMC to begin its work

Output 3.1 Public Procurement Monitoring (PPM)

• Document irregularities from the observations.
• Public Private Dialogue (PPD) by sharing irregularities in procurement process documented by JPMC.
• Bidder registration workshops to local business sector (Outreach to private sector).
• Reflection workshop with the key stakeholders.

Phase II

I.    To deepen and increase the awareness among the public on citizen’s roles and rights in monitoring of state procurement system

Output 1.1. Media campaigns

• 03 Round table discussion: Organize radio round table discussion, and spots to promote citizen interest on the topic.

 Output 1.2. Three Media briefs

• Prepare media and policy briefs.

 Output 1.3. Public Awareness campaign

• Conduct public information campaign on procurement.

 Output 1.4. Training to local businesses

• Bidder registration workshops (4 sessions):
• Session I: A) Introduction to social accountability and good governance;
• Session II: A) Accessing to information on bidding contract; B) Decision before enter to bid; C) Bidder registration;
• Session III: Preparation of bidding document
• Session IV: A) Bidding submission B) Attending the bidding session.

II. To enhance public-private collaboration and partnership in monitoring public program implementation of contracting agencies through participatory monitoring approach of the procurement process and in public private dialogue.

Output 2.1. Training/Coaching support to JPMC to monitor the procurement process

• First training on conducting monitoring in public procurement.
• Second training on organizing dialogue between state and none state actors.
• Third training on facilitating dialogue and conflict resolution.

Output 2.2. 3 Dialogue sessions

• Conduct public-private interface dialogue at sub-national level.

Output 2.3. Strengthen the JPMC institution

Output 2.4. Publish regular bidding processes

III. To set mechanism for private public engagement through establishing Social Accountability tools for private citizen engagement through the information disclosure mechanism and a Complaint Handling on the procurement system.

Output 3.1. Establishing Social Accountability tools

• Information Disclosure mechanism
• Complaint Handling on the procurement system

Output 3.2. Publishing Public procurement watch manual

• Publish the manual by the mid of the 2nd year

Output 3.3. Convene a National conference at the provincial level

• Organize national workshop
• Retreat
• Collect 2nd base line data on citizen perception
• Document irregularities in contract implementation
• JPMC Monthly meeting
• Project monitoring and evaluation

SPSL Project Target Areas in Phase III