românăThe Romanian Academic Society (RAS) and the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration (MRDPA), through the Managing Authority for the Operational Programme Administrative Capacity (AM POCA) share partnership in the pilotproject: Integrity Pacts – civic instruments for monitoring public procurement, funded by DG REGIO, in 11 European countries.
In this context, on Friday, April 20, 2018, RAS signed with MRDPA the Integrity Pact on monitoring the procurement procedures under three projects related to AM POCA’s activity, in a total amount of 7,200,000 lei.
The implementation of a pilot project, especially a project which brings civil society to the backstage of public administration, requires a courageous and open negotiation partner. Through AM POCA, MRDPA took over the initiative and stated: „YES, we want to show both the economic agents and the general public that there is nothing to hide and that there is fairness and openness at the level of the contracting authorities”.
More precisely, under the aforementioned project, RAS monitors the public procurement procedures in the field of communication and information, initiated by the contracting authority. The aim of the project is to ensure transparency, integrity and accountability in spending public funds.
The three contracts monitored by SAR are as follows:
- Organization of information and communication events for AM POCA (caravans, round tables, workshops, debates, meetings with the beneficiaries etc.), with an estimated value of 4,900,000 lei VAT excluded. This public procurement will end in a framework agreement, based on which several subsequent contracts will be concluded.
- Studies and analyses to measure the beneficiaries’ level of satisfaction and the level of information of POCA’s potential beneficiaries, with an estimated value of 1,200,000 lei, no VAT. The results of this contract will provide AM POCA with feedback on the efficiency of its information and communication system, and will enable it to remedy the deficiencies found therein.
- Training services for the POCA beneficiaries, with an estimated value of 1,100,000 lei, VAT excluded. AM POCA is to organize several training sessions for its beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries, on various topics, such as: financial management, project management, access of structural funds etc. Such activities will be implemented by means of a framework agreement, based on which subsequent contracts will be concluded.
How does the Integrity Pact tool work during the signing and undertaking stages?
RAS signed an agreement with MRDPA which sets out the roles, rights and obligations of the two parties: the contracting authority (MRDPA) and the independent monitor (RAS).
At this stage, RAS’s team of experts will support MRDPA – as independent monitors – in drafting the award documents, then, during the clarification stages, in receiving offers and awarding the contract.
During the offers-preparation stage, the applicants to the public procurements contained in the project are briefed on and made to sign a deed of adherence to the principles of the Integrity Pact which is included in each of the 3 award documentations.
After the contract is awarded, the winner will sign, together with MRDPA and RAS, the Integrity Pact. Why must the Contractor sign, as well? Because this is exactly what the mechanism of the Integrity Pact means: it makes all the parties accountable and makes them part of a partnership, meaning a communication, collaboration and, especially, a transparency mechanism. Moreover, the Pact implies trustworthy relationships between the public institutions, the private sector and the general public/the citizens that benefit from the services/products financed by public money. The aim is for all the entities interested, including the general public, to trust both the award procedure and the correctness of implementing the contract – one of the most sensitive stages in a life cycle of a project financed with public money.
You can access the agreement signed by RAS and MRDPA here.
We will keep you informed!
- For a better understanding of this monitoring mechanism of public procurement, you can also read: what is an integrity pact and how can it be used?
- Also, you can watch the VIDEO that answers the main questions about what an integrity pact is and how it works.
