Bids and Awards Committee Observers’ Training and Deployment

The Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development manages the recruitment of Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) observers from the private sector and non-government organizations. Volunteers are trained by Procurement Watch, Inc., a non-government organization dedicated to preparing observers for monitoring government procurement activities. The project’s goal is to expand the pool of professional observers and engage stakeholders to participate in the nationwide implementation of Republic Act 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act).

Together with MBC, BBC signed Commitments of Support and Cooperation Agreements with the Philippine National Police on 20 December 2004 and the Department of National Defense on 1 February 2005 to place observers in the agencies’ BACs.

In 2005, the CAC deployed observers in the Bids and Awards Committees of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Region IV-A (DPWH), Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Tourism (DOT), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Department of Health (DOH). Invitations were also received from the Philippine Reclamation Authority (formerly Public Estates Authority), and the National Police Commission (Napolcom), among others.

Monitored were some P3.49 billion worth of DND projects; P1 million worth of ammunition in the PNP; P237.09 million worth of road projects in DPWH; and P3.78 million worth of audio-video materials and information technology equipment in the DOT.   

During the monitoring, the project team noticed that not all BACs were consistent in providing necessary documents to observers as required by RA 9184. Other observers, meanwhile, recommended that technical working groups (TWGs) in BACs must exercise due diligence in reviewing specifications of items being procured to prevent delay. BACs should also invite many bidders to encourage competition.

Our challenge in this project is to train more observers who will oversee procurement of national agencies, while partner agencies must ensure that observers are invited to biddings.