PMC Research Center Presents Procurement Research Findings

On Tuesday, June 24, at the Sheraton Metechi Palace hotel, PMC Research Center (PMC RC) delivered a presentation and public discussion on “Analysis of the State Procurement System of Georgia”. The research had been conducted with the support of the USAID program – Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development in Georgia (G-PAC), which is implemented by the East West Management Institute (EWMI).

The research provides an analysis of the state procurement policy of Georgia, advantages and challenges of the state procurement system and its compliance with the best international practices. Special recommendations were developed based on the research’s findings. Results and recommendations were discussed during the public discussion.

“Very often, the problem is the low quality of the purchased goods and services. In order to further improve the state procurement system of Georgia, PMC RC developed 20 recommendations including the following: the obligation of conducting electronic tender should become broader and, for example, include the funds of the president, government and reserve funds of Tbilisi City Hall. The opportunity for a direct, simplified contract being awarded to companies with high-budget projects should be limited”, argued Besik Namchavadze, Senior Researcher at PMC RC on the recommendations developed in the framework of the research.

Namchavadze also emphasized that “the most commonly purchased products should be standardized and the capacity for the preparation of the technical requirement for procuring goods and services should be enhanced. The relevant agencies should be given adequate time for tender preparation, in order procurement plans not to require changes for many times. Active involvement of civil society institutions in the process is necessary”.

According to PMC RC, carrying out the mentioned recommendations in practice will decrease the probability of procuring entities not acquiring goods and services of the required quality. Recommendations were also developed regarding technical issues, and it was agreed that all mentioned recommendations will ensure that tenders become more effective.