Overall Project Implementation

32. Overall Project Implementation: IMED through CPTU will continue to be responsible for overall implementation of the project (referred to as IMED/CPTU). The Director General (DG), CPTU will manage all project activities as the Project Director, assisted by 4 Component Directors, one for each component. IMED/CPTU will carry out this task in collaboration with the 32 SPSOs who are the actual procuring organizations (4 PSPSOs and 28 NSPSOs). In case of CPTU the relevant three Directors will be designated as the Component Directors. For IMED part (Component 4), the Director responsible for coordinating overall activities including MIS will preferably be the Component Director. In consideration of the geographical spreading of most local government institutions across the country and previous proven experience of implementing e-GP at decentralized level, LGED, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CPTU, will implement the expansion of the scope of e-GP to these institutions. Local Government Division will issue necessary advice.

35. A robust framework for project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) will be put in place. Project outcomes/results will be measured using the result framework indicators, both at the PDO and intermediate outcome level. For M&E, the CPTU will use the technical support of a team of consultant (firm) who has proven track record of conducting independent M&E work. While a substantial part of the data will be obtained from the e-GP system, the other data concerning professionalization, capacity development, citizen engagement will need to be collected from the field. The consultant will prepare semi-annual reports on the overall project M&E including progress on the results indicators for review by the Bank. Results monitoring in DIMAPP covers: (i) procurement performance at the SPSOs; (ii) capacity development by the NSPSOs; (iii) e-contract management by the SPSOs; (iv) project implementation monitoring by IMED; and (v) citizens monitoring of public procurement at designated areas.

36. The design of the proposed DIMAPPP has made a strategic choice for further strengthening the institutional framework of CPTU in consideration of the rapidly changing procurement needs of the country. Concurrently, the project would strengthen skill-base and capacity of the SPSOs for quality procurement management with latest IT-based tools and techniques. Both CPTU and SPSOs’ officials are fully funded from revenue budget. The new e-GP system is also generating revenues that is increasingly becoming self-sustainable. Unlike many other reforms, all procurement policy and institutional reform actions made so far in the last few years have been institutionalized and sustained within the country context.

37. The reforms to be implemented during the project period— transforming CPTU to an Authority, enhancing e-GP across the country, professionalizing procurement and citizen engagement, and digitizing development projects implementation monitoring— constitute permanent improvements to the present regime. Improved procurement performance with better implementation monitoring of development projects would help contain misappropriation of public resources, enhance private sector confidence, and contribute to improving the investment climate. These results would help ensure achieving the PDO and sustaining project outcome.

D. Role of Partners

38. The Bank has a comparative advantage in supporting the proposed project in light of its consistent engagement in the area of procurement for over a decade that has been contributing in bringing about a transformational change in the public procurement environment in the country. It has always taken the lead role in embedding good procurement practices into the GOB’s program of assistance. Most of the key development partners in the country recognized the leading role of the Bank in this area (e.g., ADB, DFID, JICA, EU). With the Bank’s assistance, now the country has its own harmonized procurement procedures that have mostly been accepted for local procurement by the key development partners. As part of the local consultative group (LCG) activities, the World Bank (the Bank) has been leading the sub-group in procurement. The Bank’s support is therefore critical to continue with the reform process, and the proposed DIMAPP project is expected to serve as an anchor for the Bank and other operations in Bangladesh. Though yet to be firmed up, DFID has shown some interest in the areas of citizen engagement monitoring. The IMED component of the project will be coordinated with ADB’s assistance in this area. Further value addition includes the following:

1. 
   As the government is making use of e-GP mandatory regardless of the source of financing, the key development partners are contributing through dialogues and comments on the public procurement framework in specific reference to governance;
   

2. 
   At the regional and international level, the knowledge, ideas and good practices shared by other partners are directly contributing in improving the procurement framework, specifically for on-line contract management, framework agreements, e-reverse auction; and
   

3. 
   Reaching out to private sector and civil society adds value to incorporate the demands for good governance aspects in the procurement framework.