Introduction
Few government activities create greater temptations or offer more opportunities for corruption than public sector procurement. With around US$2 trillion estimated to disappear annually from procurement budgets, few examples of corruption cause greater damage to the public purse and harm public interests.
Over the past few years, significant innovations have been introduced in public procurement, with the overall objectives of reducing the incidence of corruption and increasing transparency. Such innovations include multi-stakeholder initiatives with an active role of civil society in monitoring public procurement. TIs’ Integrity Pact model was a pioneer amongst such innovations.
Integrity Pacts are agreements between a government agency and a company or group of companies participating in a public bidding process. By signing an Integrity Pact, all parties commit to refraining from paying, offering, soliciting or accepting bribes, and from colluding with competitors starting with the bidding process. Integrity Pacts usually include the appointment of an independent monitor as a way of ensuring that commitments are upheld. See our recent guide on IPs.
Objectives of the review
Transparency International’s main contribution to the field of anti-corruption tools in public procurement has been the development and implementation of Integrity Pacts. Over the past two decades, IPs have been used in a variety of sectors, for different types of contracts and in over a dozen countries with different legal systems and procurement regulation.
Given the expansion of the repertoire of anti-corruption tools in recent years and given the vast experience assembled within the TI movement on Integrity Pacts, Transparency International is interested to reflect on the IP tool, both conceptually as well as practically so as to be able to make it fit for the future. More specifically, we would like to situate the IP tool in the context of the wider set of anti-corruption tools in public procurement and to then take stock of the empirical experience with implementing the IP approach in practice.
The main purpose of this assignment is therefore threefold: (1) to identify the core unique elements of the Integrity Pact approach (particularly vis-a-vis the landscape of tools aimed at tackling corruption in public procurement), (2) to empirically test the performance of these core elements in carefully selected IP cases (a small number of targeted field visits and interviews will facilitate this testing) and identify in particular how any identified weaknesses can be addressed in future IPs, (3) based on the work undertaken under (1) and (2), the development of a monitoring & evaluation framework and approach focused on IP outcomes and impact (prospective).
This review will build on and encompass a similar but geographically restricted review conducted on IPs in EU countries between March and May 2015.
HOW TO APPLY:
Prospective bidders should submit a detailed proposal in English to Claire Martin atcmartin@transparency.org, indicating “Integrity Pact Learning Review” in the subject line by close of business on 23rd July 2015.
