1. Elisabetta Piselli Senior Counsel, LEGIA Procurement and Consultant Services

2.  OECD-SIGMA – Background information and context  OECD – SIGMA – Objectives, role and specific activities related to public procurement reforms  OECD-SIGMA – A specific capacity building experience: EU multi-country project on training in public procurement in Western Balkans countries and Turkey (IPA countries)

3. Background information and context

4.  Joint initiative of the EU and the OECD principally financed by the EU to support public administration reforms  Launched in 1992 to support Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, progressively extended to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries

5. Former partners  All ten 2004 and the two 2007 EU entrants Cyprus; Czech Republic; Estonia; Hungary; Latvia; Lithuania; Malta; Poland; Slovakia; Slovenia; Bulgaria and Romania Current partners  Current EU candidate countries Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey  EU potential candidate countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance)  EU neighbors Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, West Bank and Gaza, Syria, Tunisia and Russia ENP ( European Neighborhood Policy)

6. Objectives, role and specific activities related to public procurement reforms

7.  Bring public procurement systems in general, and public procurement laws in particular, in line with EU legislation (Community acquis): ◦ EC Treaty: public procurement as part of the internal market  non-discrimination  transparency ◦ EC Public Procurement Directives  Public sector and utilities Directives  Specific rules: publication, procedures, criteria for qualification, criteria for award, etc.  Apply above certain set financial thresholds  Remedies Directives (effective remedies systems)  Promote (international) recognized good practices in public procurement (mostly practices already covered by the Community acquis but partly going beyond it): ◦ Public Procurement Policy Offices ◦ Procurement below EU financial thresholds + small value ◦ Procurement training ◦ Legal Drafting

8.  Assessment of reform progress and identification of priorities for reform against baselines set by EU legislation and good practice  Advisory and support to reforms (support institution-building and setting up legal frameworks and procedures to meet EU legislation and good practice)  Facilitating assistance from the EU and other donors by helping design projects preconditions and action plans

9. Reforms undertaken between 2005 and 2007 SIGMA Support Improvement of legislative framework (as a result of 2005 Assessment) TA for the preparation and finalization of legislation (primary and secondary) compliant with EU legislation, and on specific topics such as concessions Establishment of an independent and fully operational PPA Assistance to the organizational design of the PPA; the establishment of the new independent PPA; and training of PPA staff Establishment of an effective remedies system Assistance to the establishment of the new independent review Body; and training of the Review Body staff. Parallel to SIGMA support, the reform process was supported by extensive EC funded training programs

10.  Annual assessment reports for EU candidate and potential candidate countries  Regional conferences with promotion of regional exchange of knowledge  Knowledge transfer through SIGMA Papers and information available on SIGMA website  Training (mainly through MS experts)

11. A specific capacity building experience: EU multi-country project on training in public procurement in Western Balkan countries and Turkey (IPA countries)

12. Mid December 2007, SIGMA’s assessment of the existing situation and training needs in the region: Main findings  Significant lack of coherent and coordinated provision of training and other capacity building activities in the region  Over-legalistic rather than practical approach in training provided Training needs  Introduction of a sustainable procurement training strategy at regional and national levels with special focus on the improvement of professionalism at the operational level and establishment of a community of practice

13. Phase I  SIGMA ◦ Development of a public procurement training manual (based on EU legislation and practices with strong focus on practical and operational aspects of public procurement) Phase II  TA financed by the EU ◦ Localization of the training manual (translation + adaptation to local legal systems) for each beneficiary country ◦ Training of trainers and certification of more than 150 trainers from the region ◦ One-two years monitoring and support to trainers activities During Phase II, SIGMA will provide steering and monitoring assistance to the EU and project managers