The Government of Ethiopia, working with the support of the World Bank and in collaboration with other development partners, is undertaking a procurement assessment of Ethiopia using the World Bank’s Methodology for Assessing Procurement System (MAPS II). The aim of the review is to support Ethiopia in its efforts to implement sustainable and inclusive public procurement systems in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

CoST is delighted to announce that the CoST Ethiopia country manager, Tesfaye Yalew, has been asked to join the steering committee which has been established to guide the implementation of MAPS II.

Procurement experts to power MAPS II steering committee 

Following the announcement of the MAPS II assessment, a half day workshop was held at the World Bank country office in Ethiopia to familiarise major stakeholders with the framework, and it was here that the steering committee was formed by Ethiopia’s State Minister of Finance and Economic Cooperation.

Along with Mr Yalew, other members of the steering committee include representatives of the Federal Public Procurement and Property Administration Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Pharmaceuticals Fund and Supply Agency. The diverse make-up of the steering committee will draw on a wealth of experience from Ethiopia’s procuring entities and will further strengthen the MAPS II assessment.

The objectives of the steering committee include:

• To provide strategic direction for MAPS II
• To oversee the assessment and ensure all relevant parties deliver their responsibilities
• To oversee the quality and adequacy of the assessment methodology, implementation and reporting
• To provide guidance on the validation of findings and dissemination of reports.

Using CoST influence to guide policy reform 

Mr Yalew’s position on the steering committee is an excellent opportunity to continue influencing infrastructure policy at a governmental level, especially in relation to the Federal Government Procurement and Property Administration Proclamation (No.649/2009), which was issued in 2009. While the proclamation signifies good progress towards institutionalising CoST disclosure requirements in Ethiopian law, it falls short of regulating full proactive disclosure.

As a result, CoST Ethiopia has been working towards including articles which address all aspects of disclosure in the proclamation and encourage a more a rigorous assessment of the pre and post-contract award stage: this would include for instance, feasibility studies being reviewed by an independent body and proactive, real-time disclosure of project information. The proclamation is currently under review, which will be finalised after the MAPS II assessment concludes and when any recommendations can be taken into account.

The steering committee will meet soon to finalise the next steps for MAPS II, and we look forward on reporting on the impact of this project in Ethiopia as it progresses.