Tracking Public Money: Monitoring & Analysis of Public Tendering Procedures & Outcomes

What problem are you solving?:

Recently the government has engaged in what it calls ‘the fight against corruption’. Public Procurement has been one of the sectors mostly blamed for corruption. Since 2007 the law requires public institutions to announce all tenders through the Public Procurement Agency’s website.

There is still concern in the media and among the public that procedures are not adhered to and corruption is still present although in more sophisticated ways. Accusations about cases of misuse and corrupt practices float around between political and business groups but very little or no factual information is made public. The government website in itself has many limitations such as lack of analysis and aggregated information, poor presentation, insufficient functionality and no interactivity.

Describe your idea:

The website will collect, aggregate, process, analyze and publish relevant information regarding public procurement. The purpose is to inform the public where the taxpayer money goes, to enable the public to participate in the debate and add transparency to tendering practices. The website will feature interpretations of main findings, listings of top winners, frequencies of tender processes, etc. A dynamic database will enable the creation of ID cards for each winning company containing information on the number tenders won, the procuring institutions, the company’s owners, and the tender values. Users will be able to select ”highlights” or “quick links” such as “Top 10 or Top 20 Winners”.

A discussion forum and complaint section will be set up and promoted with the aim of providing a voice to the public. Selected media reports on tender procedures will feature in the website.

What country will this operate in?: Albania

Who are you?:

The Institute for Development Research and Alternatives (IDRA) is a non-profit, non-governmental and non-partisan independent think-tank established by a group of experienced researchers in 2000. As a public policy institute, IDRA promotes the values of freedom and democracy, free market economy, and civil society, and continuously serves the democratization of the Albanian society and the process of integration into the European Union.
IDRA combines successfully the fields of research, advocacy and education.
Vision
The Institute for Development Research and Alternatives aims to bring innovation and concrete solutions for the development of the Albanian society and the integration of democratic values.
Mission
IDRA serves as a provider of expertise and an effectual bridge between the community and institutions, by being attentive to the problems faced by the Albanian society and by enhancing cooperation and dialogue in a nonpartisan, ethical, and professional way.