The Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) “Viitorul” has published the 12th edition of the “Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement” Newsletter: RO and ENG version. Articles from the August 2024 edition include: The topic of unfounded complaints addressed at the second meeting of the National Platform for Public Procurement; Members of the Coalition for Monitoring Public Procurement discussed the concept and content of a web platform dedicated to public procurement in the Republic of Moldova; In 2023, 1012 complaints were filed on 760 public procurement procedures – a decrease compared to previous years; The Republic of Moldova kicked off the second stage of EU accession negotiations – bilateral screening – with Chapter 5: Public Procurement; Red flags in Termoelectrica’s procurement monitoring process; A monitoring report has highlighted several risk indicators prevalent in sectoral procurement; Public procurement of medicines: 6 companies share 97% of the public procurement budget; Procurement of Maintenance Services for the CNAS Financial System for 2024: Restrictive Selection Criteria and Questionable Evaluation Decisions; Suspected bias in the tender for the purchase of a truck for waste disposal in Vadul lui Vodă; Multiple deficiencies identified in Chisinau City Hall’s procurement processes: lack of public access to information; Monitoring the procurement of the photovoltaic system by S.A. ”RED-Nord” and the identification of red flags. This Newsletter was prepared as part of the ”Increasing Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova” project, implemented by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) ”Viitorul” in collaboration with Partnership for Transparency (PTF). The newsletter was prepared by the IDIS team with the PTF support. The content is the sole responsibility of IDIS and the opinions of individual contributors do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of IDIS and PTF.

May 23, 2024: At the second meeting of the National Platform for Public Procurement on May 16, 2024, its members addressed the subject of frivolous challenges to procurement procedures and how these challenges can be overcome. The National Platform for Public Procurement (NPPP) was launched by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul, within the project Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova, implemented with Partnership for Transparency (PTF). The mission of the NPPP is to improve the efficiency, transparency and integrity of the national public procurement system by addressing problems in the system, identifying solutions and proposing them as recommendations to be incorporated into policy by decision-makers. NPPP members represent authorities and organizations with an interest in the functioning and sustainability of the national public procurement system. A press release featuring comments from representatives of IDIS, PTF, subgrantees, and others is available here.

April 5, 2024: On Friday, March 29, 2024, the fourth working meeting of the Coalition for Monitoring Public Procurement was held. During the event, sub-grantees of the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement project, implemented by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) “Viitorul” in partnership with the Partnership for Transparency, reported on the state of their monitoring activities. The meeting was also attended by a group of students from the Faculty of Economics of Moldova State University. Carolina Ungureanu, project coordinator and vice director of IDIS “Viitorul”, told them that public procurement has become an area of great interest and that it is necessary to monitor how public money is used. As a result, she indicated that the Coalition, represented by NGOs, activists and experts in the field, is monitoring the use of public money to ensure it is spent transparently. She said: “We are interested in disseminating this information and increasing the capacity of young people, of civil society, to have more experts and representatives overseeing the sector.” Olga Diaconu, project coordinator at the Association for Efficient and Responsible Governance (AGER), presented the activities of the “Monitoring sectoral procurement in the Republic of Moldova” project which monitors procurement under Law No. 74/2020 in the fields of energy, water, transportation, and postal services. Several large contracting authorities were monitored on how they carry out procurement in these sectors in order to detect possible irregularities or risk indicators, as well as good or bad practices. The observations will later be reflected in a report, which will also include recommendations from AGER. This report will be shared with the contracting authorities to bring about improvements to the legal framework. Five articles have already been published on certain suspect situations, with risk indicators in the monitoring of sectoral procurement by Chisinau-Gaz, Chisinau International Airport, Termoelectrica, Moldova Railways and Apă-Canal Chisinau. Ala Revenco, president of the “Parents in Solidarity” Public Association, which implements the “Increasing the integrity of low-value purchases made by the education directorates of the municipality of Chisinau” project, analyzed the way in which low-value purchases are carried out under the new regulation that came into force on July 1, 2023. As a result, it found that non-competitive procedures are predominant. 96% of the money spent, about 40.4 million lei (~8,729,292 USD), excluding VAT, was discretionary spending by the education directorates on low-value purchases made on the basis of fiscal invoices and direct contracts. In such cases, the risks of corruption and collusion are very high. At the same time, the monitored contracting authorities carried out 311 and 416 procedures in the third and fourth quarters of 2023 respectively through invoices and direct contracts. 7% of procedures were reported after the deadline in the third quarter and 32% in the fourth quarter. Through MTender, eight procedures were carried out in the third quarter and four were carried out in the fourth quarter. The thresholds for purchases through tax invoices and direct contracts were exceeded for sixteen procedures in the third quarter of 2023 and for eight procedures in the fourth quarter. Ion Mazur, head of the Advocacy, Campaigns and Publications […]

At the third meeting of the Coalition for Monitoring Public Procurement on December 13, 2023, the Open Spending EU Coalition related their experience on a systemic approach to transparency in public spending. Another topic addressed was the shortcomings identified by the Association for Efficient and Accountable Governance in the monitoring process for health procurements carried out by the Center for Centralized Public Procurement in Healthcare. The Coalition for Monitoring Public Procurement was created by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul, within the project Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova, implemented with Partnership for Transparency (PTF). The coalition aims to support public procurement reforms in the Republic of Moldova. Over 20 civil society organizations, investigative journalists, experts, and independent monitors from the Republic of Moldova are members of the Coalition. A press release featuring comments from representatives of IDIS, PTF, subgrantees, and others is available here.

Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement is a series of newsletters designed by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul to share information and increase transparency around public procurement in the Republic of Moldova. The October 2023 issue of Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement contains information about the cooperation agreement between IDIS and the Moldovan Ministry of Finance, the signing of contracts by five sub-grantees, the second meeting of the Coalition of Monitors in Public Procurement, and the national program for the development of the public procurement system for 2023 to 2026 approved by the government. Access the full newsletter here. The issue includes: 1. IDIS and the Moldovan Ministry of Finance Signed a Cooperation Agreement to Improve the Transparency and Efficiency of the Public Procurement Process 2. Public Procurements Carried out by some Authorities and Contracting Entities under the Supervision of Several NGOs which Received Funding for Monitoring Activities 3. The Coalition of Monitors in Public Procurement had its Second Working Session 4. IDIS Shared its Experience in Monitoring Public Procurement at the Civil Society Organizations Forum in Africa 5. The National Program for the Development of the Public Procurement System for 2023 to 2026 was approved by the Government 6. The EU Launches a Common Tool for Defense Procurement – How Moldova and Ukraine will Benefit 7. Assumption of Multiannual Commitments: Regulation Approved by the Government 8. After Winning the Procurement Contract with the Lowest Price, the Economic Operator is put in the Situation to Modify the Contract, because the Estimated Costs do not Correspond to Reality 9. Centralized Public Procurement in Health and the Risks of Corruption in the Procurement of Medical Devices 10. Parents have the Possibility to Monitor Purchases in Educational Institutions in Chisinau 11. Lilia Zaharia-Cravcenco, Executive Director of Transparency International Moldova, Member of the Public Procurement Monitoring Coalition: Legislative Shortcomings in Public Procurement can create Corruption Risks More information can be found in the full version of the newsletter. This newsletter was produced within the context of the joint PTF and IDIS Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project. The views expressed in the articles, which were written by IDIS, are solely those of the individuals quoted and do not necessarily reflect the official policies of PTF. For project updates, follow PTF and IDIS on Twitter @PTFund / @IDIS_Viitorul and Facebook at Partnership for Transparency / Achizitii Moldova.

Since September 2020, Partnership for Transparency has been collaborating with the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul on the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project. On September 26, 2023, IDIS and the Moldovan Ministry of Finance signed a cooperation agreement that will increase collaboration on improving the transparency and efficiency of the public procurement process with the end goal of ensuring appropriate value for public money spent. Please read the full details here.

Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement is a series of newsletters designed by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul to share information and increase transparency around public procurement in the Republic of Moldova. The June 2023 issue of Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement describes the results of the grant program for monitoring public procurement and what will happen in the second round; when the monitoring coalition was launched and who the members are; how much the authorities spent in 2022 on the procurement of goods, services, and works; how the City Hall of Bălți purchased enough oil products to travel from Moldova to Antarctica 108 times in the last 3 years; what violations the authorities in Rîscani and Cahul admitted regarding the management of public money; and more. Access the full newsletter here. The issue includes: 1. Public Procurement Consolidation Project Presented at America Days in Cahul 2. Coalition for Monitoring Public Procurement, Launched for the First Time in Moldova 3. The Second Round of the Grant Competition for Civil Society in Moldova in the Field of Public Procurement Monitoring 4. 71 Public Authorities with Purchases of over $93 Million Monitored by the Beneficiary Organizations of the Grant Program Offered by IDIS and PTF 5. Low-Value Public Procurement – More Transparent Since July 1st? 6. Proposals of IDIS and AGER to the Draft Law on amending Law No 74/2020 7. Record Growth of More than 60% in Procurement Volume in 2022 8. Purchases of Petroleum Products for 2023 for the Balti City Hall: Hidden Invoices and Exorbitant Volumes 9. Civil Society at the Mercy of Public Money – To Which Violations Did the Authorities in Riscani Admit? 10. Industrial Park on Paper More information can be found in the full version of the newsletter. This newsletter was produced within the context of the joint PTF and IDIS Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project. The views expressed in the articles, which were written by IDIS, are solely those of the individuals quoted and do not necessarily reflect the official policies of PTF. For project updates, follow PTF and IDIS on Twitter @PTFund / @IDIS_Viitorul and Facebook at Partnership for Transparency / Achizitii Moldova.

On June 29, 2023, a coalition of several Moldovan civil society organizations, journalists, experts, and independent monitors was launched to strengthen efforts to monitor public procurement. The coalition of public procurement monitors will be active for a minimum of 12 months with the possibility of continuation if the members are interested. The coalition was established by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul and Partnership for Transparency (PTF) as part of the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project. Carolina Ungureanu, IDIS Deputy Director and the Project Manager, said “The coalition’s mission is to consolidate and coordinate the efforts of civil society in monitoring public procurement. The coalition will ensure synergy of the civil society public procurement monitoring efforts by identifying problems and proposing solutions to the relevant public authorities. The aim of these efforts is to influence public policies; increase transparency and integrity of public procurement; ensure efficiency in the use of public money; minimize the risks of public authorities; and provide citizens with quality public goods, works, and services.” “We hope that the coalition will build a robust infrastructure for monitoring public procurement in the Republic of Moldova. The coalition will develop the capacity of civil society through the exchange of experiences and ensure that the findings and recommendations from the monitoring activities contribute to the improvement of the public procurement system,” commented Hady Fink, PTF Project Manager. Diana Enachi, IDIS Public Procurement Expert and Project Coordinator, stated “The coalition is a platform to make our voices heard and be stronger and have a greater impact on increasing the transparency and integrity of the public procurement sector. The coalition remains open to other organizations and monitors who want to join our efforts.” “We aim to contribute to the transparency of public procurement and come up with recommendations for improving procurement processes at all stages of implementation,” emphasized Vadim Ţurcan, IDIS Associate Expert. The coalition members will be guided by a coalition strategy, as well as organization and operation regulations. These define the mission, purpose, and objectives of the coalition, which include: • ensuring a participatory and inclusive discussion environment with systematic debates on issues in the public procurement field; • developing a common civil society vision on the priorities of the national public procurement system; • influencing the decision-making process in the public procurement field through active and transparent dialogue with regulatory authorities; • explaining public policies pertaining to public procurement and monitoring and evaluation of their implementation; • studying and discussing relevant European and international public procurement experiences; • promoting transparency in the activities of public authorities whose work is related to public procurement; • reviewing studies, analyses, research, and reports in the public procurement field; and • participating in public procurement monitoring training sessions. The members of the coalition will receive support from IDIS and PTF to apply the expertise, experience, advocacy campaigns, and recommendations formulated to improve public procurement in Moldova in a consolidated manner. “We will have the opportunity to collaborate more and we will be a strong platform that will be able to submit policy proposals and initiate discussions […]

Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement is a series of newsletters designed by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul to share information and increase transparency around public procurement in the Republic of Moldova. The February 2023 issue of Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement describes how Prospect Association managed to be the only civil society organization in the Cimişlia District public procurement working group, what the new national program for the development of the public procurement system includes, how transparent the Ministry of Education is in the view of Părinți Solidari, what challenges journalists face when documenting articles about public procurement, how a company from Comrat won a tender after filing an appeal, and more. Access the full newsletter here. The issue includes: 1. Civil Society Organizations Continue To Monitor The Integrity Of Public Procurement In Moldova And Hold Stakeholders Accountable 2. Opinion Of The European Commission: The Republic Of Moldova Is At A Beginner’s Level In Public Procurement 3. Value For Money – The Objective Of The National Procurement Development Program 4. Civil Society Warns Of The Risks Of The Draft Law On Raising The Minimum Acquisition Threshold In The Public Procurement Law 5. Părinți Solidari‘s Evaluation Of The Financial Transparency Of The Moldovan Ministry Of Education And Research 6. Andrei Bargan Said That Prospect Association Is The Only Public Association Represented At The Meetings Of The Working Group On Public Procurement In Cimişlia District 7. Sector Procurement Assessed By The Association For Efficient And Accountable Government In A Series Of Publications 8. Challenges For Journalists And Activists In Documenting Public Procurement Stories Discussed With Authorities 9. 800,000 Lei For Repairs At Rîşcani District Hospital – After The Work Was Completed, The Sockets Were Missing 10. Thermal Insulation Of Fhe Facade Of Kindergarten No. 1 In Cahul – A Firm From Comrat Became The Winner Of The Tender After Contesting The Initial Results More information can be found in the full version of the newsletter. This newsletter was produced within the context of the joint PTF and IDIS Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project. The views expressed in the articles, which were written by IDIS, are solely those of the individuals quoted and do not necessarily reflect the official policies of PTF. For project updates, follow PTF and IDIS on Twitter @PTFund / @IDIS_Viitorul and Facebook at Partnership for Transparency / Achizitii Moldova.

Articles, explanatory videos, journalistic investigations, TV shows, infographics, and public events are some of the outputs of the civil society organizations awarded grants to monitor public procurement under the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement project, which is implemented by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul in collaboration with Partnership for Transparency. On November 30 and December 1, 2022, civil society representatives and the project team met online to discuss their experiences and share the results and impact of their projects during the preceding three months of implementation.

The September 2022 issue of Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement details what the role of civil society in fighting corruption in public procurement is, who is behind rigged tenders, what caused the record increase in procurement in the first part of the year, and what young people think about public procurement monitoring.

By Samuel Stalls On August 17, 2022, Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) and partner IDIS Viitorul met virtually with eight CSOs from around Moldova to discuss their efforts to monitor public procurement processes. These organizations had all received training, grants, and expert assistance from PTF and IDIS as part of the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project. "We are committed within the project to support reforms in public procurement, which will increase the transparency, efficiency and fairness of procurement, through the involvement of civil society and investigative journalists. Our central objective is to improve the situation in the field of transparency, and recommendations for improving the legal framework or for strengthening the capacities of civil society, contracting authorities and economic operators. I would like to thank the organizations that are part of the sub-granting program for openness, involvement, great work and I am happy for the unique activities carried out", said Carolina Ungureanu, deputy director of IDIS "Viitorul" and manager of IDIS Viitorul’s team on the project. As part of this session, attended by a total of 30 attendees, including representatives from PTF, IDIS, and eight organizations , the CSOs shared information about their work, including the number and type of procurement processes being monitored, response from local authorities and efforts to inform the public. PTF Project director Hady Fink lauded the gathering, stating "This exchange of information is very welcome. It it is great to know the achievements of each organization, to learn from the experience of others and to use different methodologies". One example of the ongoing work includes the journalists of the "CU SENS" media project, who monitored over 50 public procurement procedures and produced videos on how to challenge public tenders. As part of the "Clean - Dirty" investigation, they also investigated a cleaning company who continues to take about 60% of public money for cleaning services contracts. "We want to put pressure on the authorities and certain interest groups that are behind acts of corruption and to increase the degree of intolerance to corruption in society", emphasized journalist Sergiu Ipatii. At the regional level, the Association for Human Rights "LEX XXI," from the municipality of Balti, discussed their campaign to inform citizens about public procurement procedures, which included a public dialogue in July about issues of transparency. "We want citizens to know public procurement procedures better and get involved because public money is our money," said Diana Grosu, President of the association. Following the completion of these monitoring projects, the results of the investigations and subsequent recommendations for improving transparency and combatting corruption will be compiled and presented to decision makers for implementation. The long-term goal is to prevent waste and corruption in the use of public money, and improve the quality of public goods, works and services for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. For more information, contact PTF at info@ptfund.org and IDIS Viitorul at ana.veverita@viitorul.org.

The June issue of Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement details the benefits and risks involved in the draft amendment to the Public Procurement Act registered in Parliament, how many procurements were concluded in 2021, the most frequent violations in terms of public procurement, and the conditions to be respected in the case of works procurement.

The February issue of Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement details the role and impact of integrity pacts, how the salary of construction workers in public works procurement is calculated, challenges of the Mtender system, and other interesting articles.

The December issue of Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement details needed improvements in terms of public works procurement in Moldova, challenges with the new functionalities of the MTender system, risks that threaten the integrity of public procurement, and other interesting news.

During an in-depth training program organized by the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) and the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) “Viitorul,” thirty-five representatives of civil society organizations, investigative journalist organizations, and the private sector developed the knowledge, tools, and skills needed to monitor public procurement. The training program is part of the project “Increasing Integrity in Public Procurement,” a project which aims to increase transparency and support public procurement reforms in Moldova.

As part of the project “Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova,” designed to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) and investigative journalists in Moldova to monitor public procurement processes, the Partnership for Transparency (PTF), in partnership with IDIS “Viitorul,” has launched a training program in webinar format that will be delivered between October 7 and December 17, 2021.

The September issue of Monitoring Moldova’s Public Procurement details the changes resulting from the new regulation on low-value public procurement brings, which companies win the largest public procurement contracts, how to join a training program on public procurement monitoring, and other news related to public procurement in the Republic of Moldova.

Within the context of a new project: “Increasing the Integrity in Public Procurement,” civil society representatives and investigative journalists from the Republic of Moldova will monitor public procurement in the country and provide recommendations for improving the process and strengthening the integrity of the sector. The project launch took place on September 30th, 2021, at an online conference. The project is implemented jointly by the Partnership for Transparency (PTF) and the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) “Viitorul.” 

A full Inception Report and Implementation Plan were written for the project: Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova, implemented by the Partnership for Transparency (PTF) and its partner organization in the Republic of Moldova, IDIS Viitorul (IDIS).

In the Republic of Moldova, public procurement remains an area vulnerable to irregularities, fraud, and corruption. The large amount of money circulating in the public procurement system and the frequent interactions between the public and private sectors make public procurement extremely vulnerable and a priority area of concern for the integrity of public administration.

In September 2020, PTF, in partnership with the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS Viitorul) in Moldova embarked on a project to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) and journalists to engage in informed and responsible monitoring of public procurement. The objective of this project is to empower citizens to hold relevant institutions accountable, with the goal of increasing the integrity of public procurement through increasing transparency and fairness of processes and outcomes.
Funding for the project was approved in August 2019 and the project was scheduled to begin in November 2019, but implementation was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the COVID-19 situation improved, the project commenced its activities in November 2020.