The Promises and Pains in Procurement Reforms in the Philippines
Navarro, Adoracion M.; Tanghal, Juan Alfonso O. | April 2017
Abstract
This study examines procurement policy issues in light of the recent concerns on delays in project implementation and underspending by government agencies. In the 2014 and 2015 reports by the Department of Budget and Management, procurement is cited as a reason for underspending. Likewise, government agencies with major underspending concerns noted "public procurement issues" as a recurring reason for the low disbursement outturn. In an attempt to make procurement less of a hurdle, Congress currently proposes to grant emergency powers to the president and do away with competitive bidding as the default mode in implementing transportation projects. However, procurement data analysis shows that in civil works procurement, the bid failure rate tends to be higher under the alternative mode of procurement than under the competitive mode, a result which does not support Congress' proposal.
Key lessons from experience are also investigated through interviews with various government agencies in the implementation and execution of the Philippine procurement process. The numerous key informant interviews greatly revealed the difficulties encountered and good practices implemented under the current legislative framework. To address procurement issues, the study recommends: (1) pursuing deliberate investments on and having a political will for systems change and organizational culture change; (2) greater investment on planning and other preparatory activities before the actual procurement; (3) innovation orientation in public procurement; and (4) value-for-money procurement.
Citation
Navarro, Adoracion M.; Tanghal, Juan Alfonso O.. 2017. The Promises and Pains in Procurement Reforms in the Philippines. © Philippine Institute for Development Studies. http://hdl.handle.net/11540/7247.Keywords
Government
Institutional Framework
Public Administration
Business Ethics
Political Leadership
Public enterprises
Public finance
Governance
Corporate Governance Reform
Governance Approach
Governance Quality
Public Sector Projects
Public Sector Reform
Political Leadership
Political Power
Institutional Framework
Government
Government accounting
Government
Political obligation
Public management
Government accountability
Transparency in government
Political ethics
Government spending policy
Government services
Democracy
Democratization
Elections
Local government
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