Phase 1. Inception (September 2020-May 2021): 

• To understand the situation of public procurement in Moldova including opportunities for, and the capacity and willingness of civil society to conduct meaningful monitoring, the team consulted stakeholders in person and through an online survey.
• Outputs included a baseline study of the legal and regulatory environment and a stakeholder analysis.

Phase 2. Training (May 2021-December 2021) 

• To strengthen the capacity of CSOs and to support their procurement monitoring activities, guiding material was developed and delivered to capable and willing candidates selected through a competitive application process.
• Outputs included the training curriculum designed and delivered to 34 CSOs and investigative journalist organizations; and a Monitoring Guide, providing guidance for CSOs to monitor procurement processes at different levels of government.
• Impact:
  • • Increased capacity: participants self-assessed an overwhelming increase in their knowledge of public procurement across modules and topics.
    • Continued engagement: 7 participants subsequently applied for the grants program, and 15 became members of the Coalition of Monitors.

Phase 3. Monitoring (January 2022-June 2025)

• In this phase, procurement procedures and practices are appropriately monitored by Moldovan CSOs and journalists making use of the e-procurement system and other sources of information.
• Digital Platform: a one-stop-shop website providing resources for anyone interested in monitoring public procurement in Moldova is developed, launched (June 2024), and maintained until at least the end of the project. More information on the Monitoring Coalition (in Romanian).
• Subgrants Program: CSOs and investigative journalists received funding and mentoring in two cohorts to monitor procurement processes. A total of USD300,000 was disbursed on a competitive basis in 13 grants of up to USD25,000 each. The grantees receive mentoring and technical support including peer-learning exchanges between April 2022 and September 2024. Findings of their monitoring activities are brought to the attention of authorities and form the basis for recommendations to improve the national system of public procurement.
• Coalition of Monitors: 28 CSOs and investigative journalists from the three regions of the country have formed the Coalition of Monitors. IDIS is functioning as the secretariat, convening it on a quarterly basis to share experiences and extract lessons learned to develop policy recommendations that will improve the national procurement system.
• Impact:
  • • Increased oversight: CSOs monitored procurement procedures for 71 contracting authorities (CAs) with a total estimated value of 93.3 million USD.
    • Increased participation: 6 grantees successfully requested by CAs to become non-voting members of the working group of the tender they were monitoring.
    • Increased transparency: 5 interventions by 2 grantees led to (1) the publication of previously undisclosed documents of procedures they were monitoring; (2) 2 CAs providing additional information.
    • Increased awareness: 206 publications in a variety of formats and channels reached an audience of thousands of Moldovan and international individuals over four years.
    • Improved procurement: 86 recommendations were submitted by grantees to CAs and other authorities (MoF, National Anticorruption Center (NACS), National Integrity Authority). Follow up is ongoing. So far, 63 have been rejected or ignored and 1 grantee is pursuing a case in court. Positive changes of behavior attributed to the work of grantees have been observed. This includes the Ministry of Education and Cahul Municipality improving their transparency relating to procurement processes (i.e., publication of information), and the Ministry of Finance agreeing to provide training to CAs on the implementation of the procurement law.
    • First systemic improvements emerge: 4 monitored authorities partially changed their behavior (first round); 2 monitored authorities corrected their behavior following recommendations (second round).

Phase 4. Policy Dialogue (May 2023-June 2025)

• This aims to ensure that findings and recommendations resulting from credible CSOs monitoring are taken seriously and are acted upon by contracting entities, contractors, government, and law enforcement.
• National Platform on Public Procurement (NPPP): a multistakeholder forum was set up to engage relevant and influential actors in regular conversations on core issues pertaining to public procurement in Moldova, including the Ministry of Finance (MoF), other government entities, CSOs, and private sector representatives. The NPPP formulates recommendations, in many cases based on findings from monitoring, and shares them with MoF and other entities to improve public procurement in Moldova. More information on the NPPP (in Romanian).
• Publicity & Reporting: the team is reaching out to partners and funders to identify support for continued efforts in Moldova around the availability of technical tools or sector-based approaches, but also to identify opportunities to bolster progress through similar projects in other countries.
• Impact:
  • • Creation of an inclusive and committed multi-stakeholder dialogue: 18 institutions and organizations from all sectors joined the NPPP. Strong participation, productive discussions, and adoption of reports containing agreed recommendations for submission to and consideration by relevant authorities are convincing signs of the caliber of this achievement.