Throughout the project, but especially in the initial planning stages, good communication between the programme and operations components of the project is vital.10 All programme staff -- election operations, training, voter education etc – must be clear early on their requirements.
Coordination between UNDP representatives should inform and agree with the EMBs and the donors on the procurement requirements that must be followed.
Interaction occurs in electoral procurement processes typically as representatives from EMBs are encouraged to participate in evaluation processes conducted by UNDP, as observers. Participation seeks to ensure EMBs provide the necessary technical inputs and are familiar with the goods or services offered. Nevertheless, if any EMB requests participation as a full evaluation team member, i.e. with voting rights, the request must be authorised by UNDP, when UNDP is the responsible and accountable procuring entity. In such cases, the composition of the evaluation panel shall be in accordance to UNDP rules and regulations.
EMBs in developing countries are not always regulated by the rules that multinational organisations such as UNDP have developed and honed over decades. But many of UNDP’s procurement principles can ideally be transferred to the EMB for sustainability. National partners should be involved in, and familiar with, UNDP’s procurement process. First, this enhances transparency and shared ownership – national partners will also feel responsible for selected goods and services. Second, it assists the EMB’s staff in familiarizing themselves with UNDP procurement principles, which are usually also relevant to any national public procurement rules the EMB must follow once direct UNDP procurement support has ended.
However, the compatibility of UNDP, EC and international procurement principles with any local procurement regulations that the EMB will have to comply with should also be kept in mind – especially when the EMB takes ownership of the procurement systems. Even if the principles are similar, discrepancies between the procedures required by national legislation and those required by UNDP and the EC can be significant.
A commonly faced challenge in applying International Public Procurement principles, which also affects the interaction between stakeholders, lies in ensuring the most cost effective and efficient procurement process while at the same time fostering the development of local markets for electoral supplies/goods. Procurement has to be undertaken on the basis of above-mentioned principles, i.e. ensuring transparent competition, achieving value for money and mitigating procurement risks. UNDP procurement rules require international competition (for processes of volume above a certain threshold) and unfortunately this does not always support the development of the local market or the capacity of national partners.
Yet, in some cases, overall development objectives can influence the procurement strategy. For example, occasionally a project may waive the requirement for international competition for some products so as to support the local economy/markets and build local capacities. However, a decision like this would be contingent to a number of internal approvals in the case of UNDP, and more in general should be based on a country-specific risk analysis, proper planning and a timely start to the procurement process.
Risk and feasibility studies may reveal though that a certain item is not available from local sources. For example, digital mobile registration kits may not be available on the local market, or there may not be facilities to print ballots with sufficient security features. Even other materials, like stationary items, that are available locally are often required in such large quantities, or as part of polling kits with other items that cannot be bought locally, so that local procurement may not be feasible. In all cases the comparative importance of using the local market must be determined at the outset of the project and ideally included in the overall country program and in the procurement strategy.
It must be noted that equipment internationally procured could be costly to maintain (purchase of spare parts, purchase of additional units, servicing, etc.) independently by an EMB, which needs to be taken into consideration for technologic equipment, for example, when defining the scope of the technical specifications, technical support, guarantee and after sales services.
For instance, in Afghanistan, there were strong imperatives to use the local market to stimulate Afghan business as part of reconstruction and recovery efforts. As a result, the electoral assistance project’s procurement plan involved local contractors and service providers to the extent possible within the UNDP rules that require competitive international bidding. In Afghanistan this involved a partnership with an international NGO, who trained Afghan businesses on UNDP procurement rules and how to tender for UNDP contracts.
