Last year was one in which the flexibility of the CoST approach was put to the test amidst the shifting political and social realities of Covid-19. The CoST Annual Report shows how CoST members found creative means of engaging citizens, monitoring project delivery and maintaining pressure to ensure transparency in the face of fast-paced, unrestricted public procurement.

Some of our key achievements from 2020 include:

• Introducing water sector reforms in Afghanistan and Guatemala based on findings from CoST assurance reports
• Malawi’s Ministry of Health allocating additional funding for a new cancer hospital as a result of findings from a CoST Malawi assurance report, ensuring patients will receive life-saving treatment
• The President of Honduras requesting CoST support to monitor the procurement and implementation of Covid-19 healthcare infrastructure
• Building trust between the private sector and government in Uganda, where bids for construction contracts increased from seven to 12 over a three-month period
• Launching two key products, the methodology of the first-of-its kind Infrastructure Transparency Index and the Business Plan 2020 – 2025, demonstrating the CoST response to pressing global issues.