Cayman Represented at Int'l. Public Procurement Forum
Staff of the Central Procurement Office (CPO) returned to Cayman last month with a wealth of information on international best practice in public procurement following attendance at the XIX Annual Conference of the Inter-American Network of Government Procurement (INGP) from 28-30 October in Barranquilla, Colombia.
The annual conference brings together public procurement leaders, representatives of multilateral and regional organisations, international experts, academics, and public officials from 32 Organization of American States (OAS) member countries.
The INGP describes its fundamental role as being a hemispheric cooperation mechanism that promotes the modernisation of public procurement systems; the adoption of international standards; the implementation of best practices; the management of risks associated with procurement processes; and the incorporation of technological tools that reinforce transparency.
Attending from the Cayman Islands, which is invited as an observer country due to being a British Overseas Territory, were CPO Director Taraq Bashir and Procurement Manager Victor Crumbley.
The theme of this year’s meeting, “Effective Public Procurement: The Key to Connecting Policies with Impact,” set the tone for the sessions, which focused on how to transform public procurement into a strategic tool for connecting government policies with tangible and measurable results in the lives of citizens.
Discussions focused on how public procurement systems can evolve from being an operational process to having a strategic vision based on public value, sustainability, innovation, and institutional integrity.
The conference agenda noted, “This approach recognises that effective public procurement not only complies with legality but also maximises the value generated for society, promotes integrity, and contributes to achieving public policies, as well as national and global objectives.”
Mr. Crumbley, who was attending the annual forum for the first time, found the conference to be extremely valuable in assessing the Cayman Islands’ progress in developing best practice public procurement standards.
He said it was beneficial to compare notes with fellow public procurement professionals within the Caribbean and Latin America, as many were dealing with the same or similar challenges and issues.
However, he was pleased and proud to see how Cayman compares with many regional counterparts in terms of how the Islands have developed in the public procurement arena.
He noted that having governing legislation in place for public procurement, as well as a central office providing support for the wider public service, a transparent online procurement process, and robust training programmes for both civil servants and service providers put Cayman ahead of the curve regionally – especially in terms of smaller states and territories.
He noted however, that while the conference reinforced how far Cayman has come in terms of public procurement, it also highlighted additional goals to be achieved.
“We still have a way to go in terms of changing the mindset about procurement, and how important responsibility and sustainability are in relation to the use of public funds but I think we are on the right path and ongoing training and education will help in this regard,” Mr. Crumbley said.
He noted the more uphill struggles other countries are currently facing and is very appreciative of Cayman’s growth and gains. He said the conference saw him return home rejuvenated and reinforced in his purpose with regard to his role.
“There were some really good sessions which focused on how to improve public services for the benefit of the people using them, including how to balance budgets versus wants and needs. Overall, I gained a clear understanding and awareness that our decisions in procurement – as in everything else – need to be more strategic than ad hoc. We need to look at the end goal of every project and ensure that we get value for money in terms of its positive impact,” he said.
Mr. Crumbley’s key takeaways from the conference were echoed by the INGP executive summary of the event.
The final conference report noted that, “Throughout the sessions, the need to strengthen coherence between planning, budgeting, and expenditure execution was highlighted, promoting a vision of public procurement as a catalyst for sustainable development. Participants agreed that procurement decisions must respond to clearly defined public policy objectives, avoiding fragmented and short-term approaches.”
The INPG also expressed a positive outlook on regional development in the report, saying, “The analysis of the most recent legislative reforms in public procurement was highlighted, which show significant progress in the countries of the region. These reforms reflect a paradigm shift that transcends the traditional view of public procurement as a purely procedural and administrative process, consolidating it as a strategic area of public management.”
For more information on the Central Procurement Office (CPO), visit https://www.procure.gov.ky/
For more information on the Inter-American Network of Government Procurement (INGP), visit https://www.oas.org/ext/en/democracy/INGP
