Overview

The e-Government Procurement (e-GP) seminar explores the concepts, objectives, supporting policies and procedures of e-GP within the broader e-Government context. The seminar will highlight best practices and features as well as errors to avoid, and analyze various options in the implementation of e-GP based on the experience of several countries, depending on the different scope and levels of complexity of e-GP systems.

The seminar explores the advantages and challenges in the implementation of various e-GP systems, the underlying institutional and legal frameworks, the diverse procurement methods and procedures commonly utilized in e-GP platforms and their fitness in procuring various categories of procurement (goods, works, consulting and non-consulting services) depending on risks, markets, and complexity of the procurement process, as well as the technical aspects of the related IT platforms on which e-GP Systems rely.

Format

The seminars are currently offered both in-person and online simultaneously, at the choice of the participant. This choice must be indicated at the time of registration. A small number of courses are scheduled to be delivered exclusively in person or online, and are indicated as such in the 2023 schedule. In-Person Only seminars usually start at 9:30 am Washington D.C. time. Daily sessions usually end at 4:00 pm. Breaks (including the lunch break) are allocated as appropriate. Online Only seminars will be delivered through five (for 1-week course) or ten (for 2-weeks course) live online sessions via videoconferencing platform. Each session will last approximately 3.5 hours and will be scheduled to start within a time window of 7:00 am – 8:30 am Washington D.C. time. Hybrid In-Person/Online seminars will start at a time most convenient to both in-person and online participants, and will generally follow the In-Person seminar format. We expect the classes to be highly interactive and can include presentations, case studies and exercises.

Course Outline

1. Defining e-Government Procurement – Strategy and mid and long term objectives and planning
2. Legal and institutional frameworks sustaining e-GP
3. Options and examples from developed and developing countries
4. Short case studies: comparing examples of E-GP systems and their fitness to ta a given country situation and Public Procurement institutional and legal framework
5. Specific Procurement methods and procedures adapted to the use of E-Procurement systems such as Open competitive bidding, Framework Agreements, Electronic Reverse Auction or e-Catalogs
6. Pros and cons of various approaches, policies and procedures: what is the best fit for various categories of procurement (Works, Goods, Non-consulting services, Consultants) depending on risks, market and complexity?
7. Technical aspects underlying ICT systems and platforms

Course Advisors

Bernard Becq is an independent consultant with more than 35 years of experience. He is a senior adviser, course advisor and lecturer at the ILI. Dr. Becq was the World Bank´s Chief Procurement Officer from 2006 to 2013. Dr. Becq´s experience includes working with French development agencies, in particular, he was the Deputy Chief of the International Consulting Firm of ENPC, and Project Officer and Adviser to the President at Agence Coopération et Aménagement (ACA). Dr. Becq holds graduate degrees in Mathematics from Paris VI University and in civil engineering from ENTPE in Paris, France, and a Master degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Southern California (USC), in Los Angeles, USA, where he also completed post graduate work (PhD ABD).