Open Contracting Partnership

The submission deadline is JULY 13.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has put an unprecedented strain on government procurement systems and anti-corruption regulatory bodies around the world, sending governments scrambling amid alarming cases of corruption, misappropriation of public funds, improper contracting procedures for emergency procurement (lacking accountability, and transparency). Before the pandemic, public procurement was already the government's number one corruption risk. Now, the challenges of addressing the supply and demand shocks from the pandemic with outdated and paper-based procurement systems have amplified the case for open contracting across the world.

Nigeria has been in the spotlight prior and more during the pandemic at both national and sub-national levels with deep-rooted corruption and unethical practices plaguing government businesses through procurement. As identified by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), around 60% of corruption cases are procurement-related. Progress has been made by state governments embarking on procurement reform through the World Bank-funded State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability (SFTAS) program coordinated by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. Based on learnings from various countries. Implementing open contracting along with citizen engagement presents Nigerian federating states with an opportunity to address the challenges within their procurement processes, attain transparency, internal efficiency, improve service delivery and achieve value for money.

About the Project

UNDP Nigeria in collaboration with Open Contracting Partnership (OCP), and Accountability Lab Nigeria, Edo, Ekiti, and Plateau state Bureau of Public Procurement, will through the Anti-corruption Innovation Project, build on existing progress to adopt the use of procurement data and innovative technologies to improve access to good quality procurement data that would be used for analysis and monitoring of risks or corruption red flags, support informed decision making, and civic engagement around improved service delivery. The publication of procurement data means that citizens, as well as, civil society can directly track the government’s performance on service delivery it has committed to providing via contracts. Further, clear evidence shows that open contracting can directly contribute to increased economic empowerment, including through bolstering the number and diversity of companies doing business with the government. This, in turn, should lead to improved integrity and trust in the procurement system.

The joint project objectives

  • Improve access to government procurement data across the 3 states;
  • Improved monitoring and oversight by anti-corruption agencies;
  • Strengthened institutional capacity for technology uptake;
  • Catalyzed data use for advocacy, monitoring and feedback mechanisms by non-state actors;
  • Strengthened ecosystem working to advance open contracting in Nigeria.

Summary of Consultancy

The consultant will work with the procurement reform team in each State’s procurement agency seeking to increase transparency and accountability and prevent corrupt practices in the state’s procurement process to review existing policy and regulatory landscape, including engaging non-state actors within each state to identify policy gaps and understand barriers and co-create better systems for anti-corruption. Ideally, the consultant should be based in Nigeria. International consultants will also be considered, but applications from Nigerian consultants/team of consultants are strongly preferred.

The goals of this consultancy are

  • To understand current state policies, processes, and approaches that enable or limit transparency and accountability
  • To develop detailed recommendations that are ambitious yet feasible changes that States can implement to ensure their procurement processes are fair, transparent and discourage corrupt and illicit practices.

Objective and Scope of Services

The primary objective of this consultancy is to conduct a policy landscape analysis of each State’s current procurement practices, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop actionable recommendations for how the state governments might change these policies and draft new policies where necessary. The consultant will lead the research, workshops, drafting of the report, and presentation of findings to the team.

Activities and deliverables will include:

  1. Landscape research & report: We anticipate this research will be composed of both desk research of current policies, and interviews including a global best practices review with recommendations for the state.
    • The main deliverable will be a report that details the current procurement policy landscape in the States that encourages or limits transparency and accountability, identifies opportunities for improvement and recommendations.
    • The recommendations should be structured around which changes are feasible in short- and medium-term, and how much impact they would yield.
    • As part of the research process, the consultant should reach out to all relevant stakeholders to get their understanding of current barriers, and then involve them in co-creating better approaches.
    • The consultant will work closely with the state’s procurement team, and in the process, build up their understanding and skills on how to change procurement and implement open contracting best practices and global principles for better outcomes. This report will be drafted by the consultant in consultation with the state procurement agencies and the UNDP consortium.
  2. Presentation: After the report has been finalized, we expect a presentation to the team within each state’s procurement agency leading the reform management work. The consultant will also join a meeting with States and the consulted stakeholders to report back on the findings and the changes that the states will implement based on the feedback.
  3. Draft policy or policy recommendations: After the final presentation, the consultant will work with the team within each state’s procurement agency leading the reform management work to draft proposed policy or regulatory changes that will be adapted into existing laws and policy guidelines or as recommended.
  4. Draft policy guidelines and gender-preferential procurement manual: These resources will inform how stakeholder can participate fairly and equitably in procurement opportunities within the state free of corrupt and illicit practices
  5. Regular check-ins: Throughout our engagement, we anticipate regular check-in meetings between the consultant, core team, and the Consortium to ensure alignment.

Terms of the Consultancy

  • The consultant will be required to complete this project by 31 August 2022.
  • You will give regular updates to the DG or ED of the State’s procurement agency as regards all project deliverables.
  • Regular project check-ins and reviews against project timelines will be conducted with state procurement agencies and UNDP consortium

Assignment Duration and Duty Station

The duty stations are Ekiti, Edo and Plateau states. The duration of the consultancy will be a maximum of 30 working days. The start date is July 2022.

The target start and completion dates shall depend on the actual date of hiring and may change depending on what has been finalized and sealed by OCP/ consortium and other logistical considerations.

Note: Successful consultants will be required to provide proof of medical insurance coverage before commencement of contract for the duration of the assignment.

Condition of Service and Terms of Payment

  • You will report operationally and administratively to the Programs Manager for Africa at OCP who will coordinate with consortium partners.
  • Payment will be against deliverable schedule (with tax deducted at source), including satisfactory progress report of deliverables performed during the month and their corresponding dates and times.

Application

We are looking for consultants with experience leading or supporting procurement reform, digital transformation and/or open data projects; experience legislative drafting & regulatory harmonization; incentivizing behavioral change; and coming up with collaborative and creative solutions that respond to stakeholder needs and incentives.

Applications should include:

  • Cover letter outlining your motivations, relevant qualifications and intended plan/priorities
  • CV detailing recent relevant experience
  • A Technical proposal of at most five (5) pages outlining your intended plan. Kindly specify which state(s) you will be supporting.
  • 3 examples of similar projects
  • Proposed budget with daily rate
  • Short writing samples (this could be a blog, report or other relevant written product)

The deadline to submit your application is 13 July, 2022. Should you have any questions please contact - Andidiong Okon.

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