By Phesheya Mkhonta
The Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) has availed an opportunity to local organizations, social leaders, teams, or groups who have great ideas on how public procurement can be utilized to fight corruption, protect the environment, and promote inclusion.
The OCP is a global independent non-profit charity that collaborates with governments, businesses, civil society, and technologists to open up and transform government contracting worldwide.
The organization brings open data and open government together, and makes sure public money is spent openly, fairly, and effectively on public contracts – the single biggest item of spending by most governments.
Locally, the organization works closely with the Eswatini Public Procurement Regulatory Agency (ESPPRA).
The OCP has just recently launched the Lift Accelerator Program which is now open for application. The Lift Accelerator Program assists governments and social leaders around the world to address the converging crises of inequality, climate change, and a decline in public trust, and believes that public procurement is the powerful untapped tool to address this change.
OCP Head of Africa Edwin Muhumuza, in an interview with this publication, noted that the Lift Accelerator Program is open to any organization, social leader, groups or teams across the world.
“The Lift Accelerator Program is open to any organization in the world, this could be a government agency, business association civic groups, or even a media group that has an idea they want to explore around public procurement. The key thing for us is that the idea meets the criteria which entail our three main goals, anti-corruption, and sustainability, economic and social inclusion.”
The Head of Africa at OCP added that teams or groups that will be selected for the program will receive US$35 000 for the 18-month program. He said apart from the grant the groups will also be assisted with technical expertise.
He concluded by encouraging local groups or organizations to apply for the program and also offered tips to those interested. “We have observed in the past that most groups who get selected for the Program are ones that form partnerships or joint ventures, as this allows them to combine their different strengths. So as much as there is no limit to the number of groups ha can apply from a single country, partnerships could increase the chances of being selected.”
Moreover, the charity organization notes that informational webinars will be running from March 20-24 2023.
Speaking on behalf of ESPPRA as the local partner in public procurement, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Vusi Matsebula, stated that as the Agency they welcomed and appreciated the initiative by OCP as it afforded emaSwati the opportunity to get funding to implement projects that would ordinarily remain a dream, yet these projects have a great potential for a positive impact in the fight against corruption, in ensuring sustainability which included but not limited to sustainable procurement as well as economic and social inclusion of the marginalized members of the society.
Mr. Matsebula further stated that the Agency as highlighted above by the Head of Africa, Mr. Edwin Muhumuza, they were open to collaborating with civil society, the procuring entities, local governments, and suppliers in coming up with successful proposals that were going to compete internationally.
Eligibility Criteria for the Lift Accelerator Program
- Pursuing a project that aims to use open contracting to achieve one of three goals — anti-corruption, sustainability, or inclusion.
- Comprised a strong team that includes at least four people integral to project implementation, including two team leads, a relationship manager, and procurement and data experts.
- Committed to participating fully in the 18-month program.
- Working in a country deemed “Good,” “Satisfactory,” “Problematic,” or “Difficult” by the World Press Freedom Index 2022.
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