“Promoting Integrity Through Advocacy: Counteracting Corruption in Public Contracting” Initiative |

On February 1, 2011, Transparency International – Bulgaria started the implementation of project called “Promoting Integrity Through Advocacy: Counteracting Corruption in Public Contracting”.

The initiative of the Bulgarian chapter of Transparency International is aimed at counteracting corruption in local public procurement.

The project is financed through the Siemens and World Bank Integrity Initiative created on July 2, 2009, which provides support to organizations and projects combating corruption and fraud through collective action, learning, and education in countries around the world.

The main goal of the initiative is to raise the standards of accountability and transparency during implementation of contracts with significant public interest through change in country policies. Project work covers five key areas, including legal framework analysis and adapting of the concept for Integrity Pacts in national context.

The project framework envisions popularization of this concept and initiation of workshops and open discussions with representatives of both public administration and private sector. Integrity Pacts are to be tested with pilot initiatives which will include training of civil servants for using the pacts in public tender procedures, testing of the instrument in select tenders, monitoring and evaluation of the effect over the process of granting and executing public procurement contracts, and formulation of proposals for improvement.

The main objectives of the initiative include:

creating conditions for building a coherent anti-corruption policy of the Bulgarian government
increased opportunities for participation of private sector companies in the anti-corruption initiatives
development of plans for civil society monitoring over the effects of introducing anti-corruption measures
public attention focus on the problem and consolidation of general public support for the initiative

Also envisioned is development of indicators for transparency and integrity in public procurement as well as publication of a handbook for their implementation. These indicators will be promoted within the project framework and used in the training of representatives of business, public administration, civil society and media.