Express your Opinions: PPI Survey

Among others, the Asia Pacific Procurement Forum Consultative Meeting held at the ADB Headquarters last 24 to 25 August 2009 endorsed the establishment of a platform for exchange of experiences and best practices in procurement reforms among the ADB’s DMCs and donor partner organizations.  The participants wanted a common agenda to move DMC’s national procurement systems closer or at par with international best practice.

In response, ADB is currently setting up the Asia Pacific Procurement Partnership Initiative (PPI), a US$1.3 million ADB technical assistance that will focus on developing collaborative initiatives among DMCs to promote informed policy dialogues, improved knowledge sharing and effective capacity building in procurement reform and implementation. You can download the RETA here for your reference.

As part of its initial activity, the PPI is currently conducting an internet-based needs assessment survey to capture the needs and aspirations of the stakeholders, implementers and development actors in the public procurement reforms.  The questionnaire consists of six sections which can be completed within a period of about seven minutes.  These sections include: PROFILE (14 questions), INTERESTS (four questions), NEEDS (two questions), MEDIA CHANNELS (two questions), IMPACTS (two questions), and CONTRIBUTION (three questions).

The most appropriate respondents are those directly involved in public procurement execution, legislation, and policy formulation & reform; procurement-focused civil society organizations (CSOs); oversight agencies (i.e. Ministry of Finance, Ombudsperson, Government Audit, etc.); private sector organizations advocating for best practices; other international financial institutions (IFIs); foreign trade commissions, diplomatic missions and donor partner organizations; relevant academe; consultancy firms and individuals; and ADB resident missions.

We encourage you to help us complete the survey so your opinions and needs can be included in the design of the PPI activities and its website. In addition, please try and accomplish the questionnaire in one seating.  You can now click here to go to the questionnaire.

The PPI would like to express our thanks for your collaboration and continuing support.

What’s happening in Public Procurement?

The year 2010 presents a host of oppotunities in expanding knowledge and networking in the field of public procurement.  Provided here are some major conferences on public procurement planned for the current year.  

19-20 April 2010 – Public Procurement: Global Revolution IV, University of Nottingham, U.K.:  Under the auspices of the EU-funded Asia Link project for developing a global academic network in public procurement regulation, this major international conference will bring together academics and those in practice to discuss key current issues in public procurement regulation and education.  Visit the event webpage.

Continue reading What’s happening in Public Procurement?

ADB’s Whistleblower Protection

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has implemented improvements to internal rules protecting those who report integrity violations, misconduct in ADB and in ADB-related activities.

The “ADB Whistleblower and Witness Protection” provisions improve access to information about how both ADB staff and those outside ADB can respond to retaliation that is due to their reports of violations or misconduct.  These new internal regulations also specify the measures that ADB will take to avoid or to counter any threats to those who have provided information on misconduct and require ADB to keep the identity of the whistleblower confidential, unless the whistleblower opts for a waiver.

The new provisions were finalized following extensive consultations with experts within and outside ADB and after draft provisions were made available for public comment for a three-month period last year.

The ADB Administrative Order containing the detailed provisions can be downloaded here.