Since the public procurements represent a key economic activity of the governments, and the international efforts to support the reform of public procurements were mostly focused on the promotion of competitive public bidding, with an aim to ensure a fair selection of supplier, the Council of the Organization for economic cooperation and development has given the recommendations for improving the integrity in public procurements.
Recommendations of the Council are giving to the bearers of policies the Principles for improving the integrity through the total cycle of public procurements, while considering the international law, and a national law and organizational structures of the countries members.
Regarding the fact that a joint interest of countries members is preserving the integrity through the whole cycle of public procurements, starting from estimation of needs, up to coordination of the contract and payments, the Council has created the following recommendations:
- That the countries members overtake appropriate steps to develop and implement appropriate frames of policies for improving the integrity through the whole cycle of public procurements, from the estimate of needs, to coordinating the contract and payment;
- That in development of policy for improving the integrity in public procurements, the countries members take into consideration the principles which have been in the Annex of these Recommendations, and which represents their integral part;
- That the countries members distribute these principles in a private sector as well, which plays a key role in delivering commodities and services for public service.
Principles which contain these Recommendations are based on an application of the elements of good administration, in order to improve the integrity in public procurements. They include the elements of transparency, good coordination, prevention of inappropriate conduct, and responsibility and control. An important aspect of integrity in public procurements is an overall obligation for the potential suppliers and contractors to be treated on an equal basis.
In the Recommendation has also been pointed out that the governments should notify the public information on key regulations of big contracts to organizations of civil societies, media and a broader public. Also, the governments would need to ensure that the selection and nomination of the officials involved in public procurements, gets based on values and principles, especially of the integrity and merits.
In order for these traditional mechanisms of responsibility to complement, the governments should deliberate the involvement of the representatives from organization of civil societies, and a broader public monitoring of public procurements of a bigger value or complex public procurements, which are being followed by a significant risk of an irregular coordination and corruption. The total document the Recommendations of the OECD Council for improving the integrity in public procurements, you can see here.