PDG initiates collaborative international effort to support public procurement reform in Grenada

In response to the formal request from the Government of Grenada for PDG support in the area of procurement reform, and following the PDG review of the 2007 Public Procurement and Contract Administration Act, the Advisory Unit undertook a mission to Grenada at the end of August in order to examine the findings of the PDG review with the Grenadian Authorities. The Unit was joined in this mission by Mr. Miguel Porrúa, the OAS E-Government Co-ordinator, and Mr. Jorge Claro, the author of the review. After the round of discussions and examination of needs, the Ministry of Finance, the Advisory Unit and the OAS agreed on steps forward. The Advisory Unit will provide legal drafting support for the preparation of the new Act and secondary legislation, but this will need to be accompanied by a concerted collaborative support by international partners to assist the implementation of the new legislation and the creation of a modern, effective and operational Public Procurement Authority. The objective of this collaborative effort is to mobilise as many international partners as possible, both within and outside of PDG membership, with a view to capitalising on the strong political commitment of the Government of Grenada to improve the transparency and efficiency of public policies, and to support the creation of a modern and effective procurement system—one that could serve as a model for other States in the region. The PDG Advisory Unit was asked during the mission to act as the Secretariat of this collaborative effort.

Ankara to provide additional support to PDG

Head of Unit Jerzy Pomianowski was in Turkey from 26-28 July to hold consultations with TIKA, the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While in Ankara, Mr. Pomianowski briefed TIKA President Musa Kulaklikaya on the work of the PDG and thanked TIKA for their support for the PDG pilot project in Georgia. Turkey has reiterated the wide support for this project, one of the two PDG Members which have already made official pledges of concrete contributions, alongside Poland.

Brazil explores new avenues of support to PDG activities

Head of Advisory Unit Jerzy Pomianowski held discussions in Brasilia at the end of July with the Brazilian Ministry of External Affairs and the Brazilian Agency for Co-operation (ABC). Brazil confirmed their intention to play an active role within the Partnership. ABC Director Marco Farani invited the PDG to participate in a joint identification mission to Haiti, one of the key objectives of which will be to identify new ways of improving access to the justice sector. The mission is expected to take place in November.

PDG Participates in Viva Rio NGO conference on Security and Development

The PDG Advisory Unit was extended an invitation to participate in a two-day Viva Rio NGO workshop on “Revisiting Borders between Civilians and Military: Security and Development in UN Peace Operation,” held in Rio de Janeiro from 3-4 August. Mr. Pomianowski chaired the panel on a planning and training framework for civilian and military co-operation in post-conflict and fragile situations. The visit to Rio de Janeiro also provided Mr. Pomianowski the opportunity to consult with Rubem César Fernandes, Executive Director of Viva Rio—an NGO founded in response to the growing violence in Rio de Janeiro, but whose work to reduce urban violence in São Paolo and Rio de Janeiro has become a model for similar efforts in other countries as well. During their discussions, Mr. César voiced interest in possible collaboration with the PDG in the future.

PDG Community of Practice begins using online platform

The new collaborative online platform for the Partnership, www.pdg-online.org, was opened to members of the Experts’ Group over the summer. The Advisory Unit is pleased to invite all interested parties to join our community of practice by registering online today. PDG Online is a unique, custom-built web platform where users can comment on and participate in an ongoing intellectual debate, learn more about the latest work of the Partnership and more. The website is also being enriched with a new series of discussion papers from a number of development experts—including Drs. Steven Krasner and Paul Collier—on issues ranging from contracting out to the role of non-traditional donors and South-South co-operation

Guatemala project nears implementation phase

Following the decision of the June Steering Group meeting to proceed further with the provision of PDG support to Guatemala, the Advisory Unit will undertake a third mission to Guatemala at the end of September to discuss with both the Government and PDG members the financial and logistical details of the PDG-supported project to assist the Government of Guatemala in strengthening its national system of development councils and promoting municipal leadership. Prior to this, the Advisory Unit will meet with senior officials in Mexico City to consult with them on how the Mexican government could best support the implementation of the project in Guatemala

PDG to host second Experts’ Group meeting as follow-up to Tunis conference on contracting out

From 27-28 October 2009, the Advisory Unit will organise a meeting with experts on contracting out in order to brainstorm a number of issues emerging from the joint PDG-AfDB conference in Tunis. The meeting will provide the Advisory Unit with technical advice on substantive debates related to contracting out and expert guidance on how to address identified issues in an operational manner. These will include: definitions and typologies of contracting-out arrangements; combining contracting out with capacity development; identifying legal and financial frameworks and tools. Among the planned outputs of this meeting is a set of recommendations that will guide the Advisory Unit in its work towards the publication of a handbook of good practice when contracting out core government functions and services in post-conflict and fragile situations. More information on the meeting will be sent by the Advisory Unit in the coming weeks.

Second volume of PDG Experts’ Series to be released

As a follow-up to the joint PDG-AfDB conference held in Tunis last June, the Advisory Unit is pleased to announce the forthcoming second volume in the PDG Experts’ Series, titled Contracting Out Core Government Functions and Services in Post-Conflict and Fragile Situations. This new volume includes the proceedings of the Tunis conference, as well as a special contribution from Prof. Paul Collier. The Advisory Unit is releasing this publication ahead of the upcoming European Development Days in Stockholm (22-24 October), and a PDF version of the book will be made available through our website. For information on how to obtain a print copy of the publication, please contact the Advisory Unit.

Topics of two additional PDG studies announced

The Advisory Unit has commissioned two additional studies in order to allow the PDG to inform and improve practices for its membership and the broader community, as well as to directly contribute to the design of PDG country-level work through operational guidance:

Pre-screening Mechanisms in the Contracting Out of Service Delivery and Government Functions by States in Post-Conflict and Fragile Situations
The general objective of this report is to inform the work of the PDG on contracting out core governance functions and service delivery in fragile states. In particular it aims at providing the PDG with information, analysis and recommendations that will support the production of a series of policy tools for donors, partner governments and contractors and, specifically, the creation of a pre-screening mechanism for contractors in fragile situations.

Private Sector Support for Local Capacity Development in Post-Conflict and Fragile Situations
The PDG is commissioning a scoping paper on Private Sector Support for Local Capacity Development in Post-Conflict and Fragile Situations. The general objective of this scoping paper is to inform the PDG on the type of activities currently undertaken by private companies to contribute to the development of local and national capacities in fragile states. In particular it aims at providing the PDG with a general overview of past experiences, current trends as well as innovative practices in private sector support and the use of public-private partnerships for capacity development. The report will also raise possible entry points for PDG collaboration with the private sector and identify topics for possible detailed follow-up studies.  

New visiting address for Advisory Unit

The offices of the PDG Advisory Unit will be moving to a new OECD annex in Boulogne-Billancourt as part of a broader relocation project within the Organisation. The Advisory Unit’s mailing address will remain the same, but visitors are invited to consult the OECD Website for information on locating the PDG’s new offices.