The ATPS is a trans-disciplinary network of researchers, policymakers, private sector actors and the civil society that promote the generation, dissemination, use and mastery of STI for African development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
The ATPS Phase VIII Strategic Plan for 2017-2022 has identified four strategic priority areas of focus during the period. These are: agriculture, food and nutrition; energy; climate change and environment; and health.
The ATPS network functions through National Chapters in 30 countries (27 African and 3 Diaspora chapters). The National Chapters operate under National Coordinators who provide intellectual and administrative leadership at country level.
Project Duration: August 2019-July 2020
Grantor: Hivos
Principal Investigator: Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Contact Email: executivedirector@atpsnet.org
Grant Amount: EUR 35,000
Project Description/Background
There have been various interventions advancing Open Contracting (OC) in Africa, with diverse results and degrees of progress. Various implementing actors have approached their programming in different ways. It is against this background that a comparative study is required to assess what’s working well, lessons learnt, replicated and scaled up to realize open contracting in Africa.
The level of transparency and accountability in the procurement process in most African countries is very low. According to the World Bank, public procurement accounts for nearly 15 per cent of GDP per capita in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). However, the expenditure of these funds by African governments has little impact on the livelihoods of its citizens. This has been exacerbated by the absence of appropriate accountability mechanisms and insufficient legal and regulatory framework to ensure targeted funding of essential services such as education, health and transport. Ghost funding and poor service delivery have been the trend in many African countries despite there being some efforts across Africa to increase transparency and accountability in the public procurement process.
Key Objectives and Activities
This project aims at assessing the levels of progress, innovations, collaborations and typologies of reforms that can be replicated and scaled up to advance open contracting in Africa. Specifically, this study aims to:
Our Approach
This study will entail a comprehensive desk study as well as to conduct key informant interviews and focus group discussions in the 10 target countries.
Expected Outputs/Deliverables
Expected Outcome
Project Outputs
Reports
Embracing Open Contracting-Policy Brief
The State of Open Contracting in Selected African Countries-Report
Videos
Civic Engagement for Open Contracting
Short video on the need for Open Contracting