Congo intends to modernize its public procurement system according to the MAPS II evaluation methodology, considered more efficient than the old mechanism. Executives from the public administration, the private sector and civil society are meeting from January 20 to 24 in Brazzaville to try to take ownership of the new public procurement evaluation tool.
Considered a global standard in the evaluation of public procurement, the MAPS II mechanism is a tool to promote better governance of the public procurement system. It should ultimately promote not only the evaluation of the quality of the public procurement system in Congo, but also the development of the reform strategy based on the strengths and weaknesses identified, including the establishment of an adequate legal and institutional framework.
This training session for local stakeholders was initiated by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARMP), with the support of the World Bank through the Program to Accelerate Institutional Governance and Reforms for Sustainable Operation of Services (Pagir). For five days, participants will discuss the elements necessary for the evaluation of the Congolese procurement system and examine the articulation of the procurement system in the Republic of Congo. The objective of the approach, according to the ARMP regulatory president, Ludovic Ngouala, is to equip national experts to enable them to successfully carry out the evaluation of the public procurement system according to the MAPS methodology.
The appropriation of the MAPS II mechanism will follow an iterative process including the planning and launch of the mission, then the evaluation itself and the restitution of the results, followed by the MAPS seal of approval and finally the follow-up of the recommendations. According to the World Bank expert, Pierre Morin, in addition to analyzing the institutional and regulatory framework, the new evaluation methodology also focuses on management capacity, examination of the market sample, assessment of gaps, deadlines, costs and schedules. The purpose of the process, maintains the expert, is to strengthen the accountability, integrity and transparency of the national public procurement system.
The actual use of MAPS II would constitute a turning point for the country in terms of public governance, as it will improve its efficiency while strengthening its integrity and transparency in the use of public funds. Launching the work of the capacity building session, the Prime Minister’s advisor in charge of governance, Gervais Bouiti-Viaudo, welcomed the approach which is expected to lead to a MAPS II certification, which will provide a common tool for analyzing information on key aspects of public procurement.
It should be noted that the popularization of this evaluation tool is among the priority activities of PAGIR to achieve disbursement indicator 3 of the program with the objective of improving the transparency of public procurement and thus supporting the switch to program budgeting. The resident representative of the World Bank in Congo, Louise Pierrette Mvono, renewed her institution’s commitment to supporting the country in carrying out its reforms.
