The OECD Principles for Integrity in Public Procurement are a ground-breaking instrument that promotes good governance in the entire procurement cycle, from needs assessment to contract management.

This volume comprises papers presented at the OECD Global Forum on Governance: Fighting Corruption and Promoting Integrity in Public Procurement held in Paris in November 2004.

Provides, for the first time, a comparative overview of practices from A to Z. It maps out practices to enhance integrity throughout the whole procurement cycle, from needs assessment to contract management. It also takes a global stance by including practices from non-OECD countries.

The OECD Principles for Integrity in Public Procurement are a ground-breaking instrument that promotes good governance in the entire procurement cycle, from needs assessment to contract management.

This assessment of progress made in integrity in public procurement in OECD countries shows that as a result of austerity measures, governments have been providing smarter and more environmentally friendly procurement.

Lack of transparency and accountability were recognised as a major threat to integrity in public procurement at the 2004 OECD Global Forum on Governance: Fighting Corruption and Promoting Integrity in Public Procurement. To verify this hypothesis, the OECD Public Governance Committee launched a survey primarily targeted at procurement practitioners in charge of designing, supervising and managing procurement processes in central governments. Auditors, members of competition authorities and anticorruption specialists have also been involved. On the basis of the information collected, good practices were identified by government officials, representatives from civil society and private sector at the OECD Symposium: Mapping out Good Practices for Integrity and Corruption Resistance in Public Procurement in November 2006. This project maps out good practices, that is, successful measures for enhancing integrity in public procurement. It is a complementary part of multidisciplinary efforts in the OECD to improve public procurement systems, in particular: (1) Assessments of public procurement systems in developing countries by the Aid Effectiveness and Donor Practices Working Party of the Development Assistance Committee; (2) Analysis of bribery in public procurement by the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions; and (3) Studies of the central procurement structure and capacity as well as review and remedies systems of the European Union Member States bythe Support for Improvement in Governance and Management Programme (SIGMA).

With procurement accounting for 13% of GDP and a third of government expenditures on average in OECD countries, investing in appropriate processes to mitigate risks of waste and corruption leads to efficiency gains considering the financial stakes. In 2008 OECD countries committed to promoting transparency, integrity, good management as well as accountability in procurement with the adoption of the OECD Recommendation on Enhancing Integrity in Public Procurement. This assessment of progress made in OECD countries shows that as a result of austerity measures governments have been under tight budgetary constraints to provide smarter procurement, that is better service delivery at lower cost. Because environmental protection has become a growing societal imperative, the review of progress made shows that there is a strong political push in OECD countries to integrate environmental considerations in procurement. With the economic crisis, some governments have been tempted to use procurement to ease its socio-economic impact on societies by providing a substitute for direct social policies to support employment for specific communities. However few governments have invested in prioritising the objectives pursued through procurement, assessing their costs or benefits, and measuring their actual impact.