Legislative Framework
- Issue instructions to public bodies concerning the coordination of their actions with the Procurement Oversight Unit, the National Tender Board and the Review Panel;
- Issue public procurement circulars and publications to provide guidance on the interpretation and application of the Act;
- Formulate policies relating to procurement, including directives, procedures, instructions, technical notes and manuals for the implementation of the Act;
- Issue standard forms of contracts, bidding documents, pre-qualification documents, requests for proposals and other similar documents for mandatory use by every public body implementing procurement;
- Collect from the National Tender Board, the Review Panel and public bodies information on procurement activities and monitor their compliance with the Act;
- Recommend and facilitate the implementation of, measures to improve the functioning of the procurement system, including the introduction of information and communications technology, the dissemination of publications and the setting up of websites dedicated to procurement;
- Present an annual report to the Minister of Finance, Trade and Investment regarding the overall functioning of the procurement system;
- Communicate and cooperate with international institutions, funding agencies and other foreign entities on matters of procurement;
- Advise the Minister regarding delegation of financial authority to public officers enabling them to approve contract awards and changes to contracts of a financial nature and carry out an annual review of such delegations;
- Register the names, and keep a database of suppliers, contractors and consultants;
- Receive complaints from procuring entities about suppliers, contractors and consultants;
- Maintain a list of firms that have been excluded from participating in public procurements and communicate the list to procuring entities in a transparent manner on a regular basis;
- Ensure that the standard bidding documents contain all the information necessary for a bidder to submit a bid;
- Vet bidding documents and public notices submitted to it, to ensure compliance with the relevant laws , regulations and policies;
- May authorize a procuring entity to call for bids, or utilize another appropriate procurement method;
- Select persons from a list of qualified and independent evaluators maintained and paid by it, who have not been a party to the preparation of any bidding documents, to act as members of a bid evaluation committee of the procuring entity;
- Monitor the performance of procuring entities
- Provide or coordinate capacity building and professional development, and develop standards, competence levels and certification requirements for staff involved in public procurement, in consultation with appropriate bodies responsible for public sector training and development;