Reporting period: July – December 2019

 

During the reporting period Transparency International Bulgaria (TI Bulgaria) continued monitoring the implementation of the awarded public procurement [1] contracts. In the second half of 2019 the contractors completed the design activities and coordination of the technical records with the competent authorities. The construction under the three lots was launched officially on 23 October 2019.

 

Our team started field observations in October 2019. We aimed at carrying out at least one field visit a month. The more essential results have been published in the Monitoring section on our website; pictures and videos from the construction site have been uploaded in subsection Tunnel.report.

 

In compliance with the observation methodology, and pursuant to the Integrity Pact, TI Bulgaria took part in the regular meetings between the contracting authority, the contractor and the construction supervisory authority specified for every lot. Our team has taken part in altogether four such meetings since the launch of the construction works: one for lots 1 and 3 – the sections immediately before and after the tunnel, and two for lot 2, the tunnel itself. The monitoring continues in 2020.

 

In fall 2019 we completed the verification procedures, together with the contracting authority Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA), in relation to two monitoring reports from the early stages of the public procurement: one covering the period from the preparation of the tender to the selection of contractors, and the second one in relation to signing the award contracts. The full texts of the reports in Bulgarian are accessible on the dedicated project website, Publications section; summaries with the most important findings and conclusions have been published in the English language version of our website.

 

During the reporting period, TI Bulgaria started work on the next monitoring reports on the implementation phase. We plan to publish at least two monitoring reports in 2020, focusing on the design phase and the launch of the construction works.

 

Parallel to the start of the construction works, TI Bulgaria launched an information campaign in the social media targeted at the general public. Our aim is to encourage citizens who travel in proximity to the construction site to get involved in the monitoring by using a specially designed subsection on the project website, Tunnel.Report. The module allows for pictures and comments to be uploaded and signals to be submitted in relation to identified irregularities. The information campaign will continue in 2020 as well.

 

We continued our work to involve the local communities such as local civic organisations and associations, interest groups, and local business organisations. In the framework of this activities’ path we established the modalities for involvement and communication, adapting them to the ‘profile’ of the different groups. Another series of meetings will take place in the beginning of 2020.

 

Transparency International Bulgaria will continue its advocacy work as well to ensure better transparency of the monitored project. During the reporting period we focused our efforts in particular on joint activities, together with the contracting authority and the contractors, for communicating the progress made in the construction works. We believe that we managed to agree that regular and timely communication in relation to progress made, but also to potential problems (and the reasons for these, which are often objective) will enhance the public trust in the public procurement process nation-wide. The contractors expressed their readiness to involve further in deeper cooperation in the coming months.

 

During the reporting period Transparency International Bulgaria (TI Bulgaria) continued monitoring the implementation of the awarded public procurement [1] contracts. In the second half of 2019 the contractors completed the design activities and coordination of the technical records with the competent authorities. The construction under the three lots was launched officially on 23 October 2019.

 

Our team started field observations in October 2019. We aimed at carrying out at least one field visit a month. The more essential results have been published in the Monitoring section on our website; pictures and videos from the construction site have been uploaded in subsection Tunnel.report.

 

In compliance with the observation methodology, and pursuant to the Integrity Pact, TI Bulgaria took part in the regular meetings between the contracting authority, the contractor and the construction supervisory authority specified for every lot. Our team has taken part in altogether four such meetings since the launch of the construction works: one for lots 1 and 3 – the sections immediately before and after the tunnel, and two for lot 2, the tunnel itself. The monitoring continues in 2020.

 

In fall 2019 we completed the verification procedures, together with the contracting authority Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA), in relation to two monitoring reports from the early stages of the public procurement: one covering the period from the preparation of the tender to the selection of contractors, and the second one in relation to signing the award contracts. The full texts of the reports in Bulgarian are accessible on the dedicated project website, Publications section; summaries with the most important findings and conclusions have been published in the English language version of our website.

 

During the reporting period, TI Bulgaria started work on the next monitoring reports on the implementation phase. We plan to publish at least two monitoring reports in 2020, focusing on the design phase and the launch of the construction works.

 

Parallel to the start of the construction works, TI Bulgaria launched an information campaign in the social media targeted at the general public. Our aim is to encourage citizens who travel in proximity to the construction site to get involved in the monitoring by using a specially designed subsection on the project website, Tunnel.Report. The module allows for pictures and comments to be uploaded and signals to be submitted in relation to identified irregularities. The information campaign will continue in 2020 as well.

 

We continued our work to involve the local communities such as local civic organisations and associations, interest groups, and local business organisations. In the framework of this activities’ path we established the modalities for involvement and communication, adapting them to the ‘profile’ of the different groups. Another series of meetings will take place in the beginning of 2020.

 

Transparency International Bulgaria will continue its advocacy work as well to ensure better transparency of the monitored project. During the reporting period we focused our efforts in particular on joint activities, together with the contracting authority and the contractors, for communicating the progress made in the construction works. We believe that we managed to agree that regular and timely communication in relation to progress made, but also to potential problems (and the reasons for these, which are often objective) will enhance the public trust in the public procurement process nation-wide. The contractors expressed their readiness to involve further in deeper cooperation in the coming months.

 

[1] Public Procurement for the Design and Works of Struma Motorway, lot 3.1. Zheleznitsa Tunnel with three lots: Lot 1 Stretch no. 1 from 366+000 km to 366+720 km, including tunnel service road at the northern end of the tunnel; Lot 2 from 366+720 km to 369+000 km, including tunnel service road at the southern end of the tunnel and a helicopter landing site; and Lot 3 from 369+000 km to 3670+400 km.