12 Principles of Procurement

There are 12 procurement principles which guide public procurement in Northern Ireland. We can take a lesson from it to develop public procurement in our country. Here are the list:

1. ACCOUNTABILITY

Effective systems must be in place to allow Chief Officers and CEOs to fulfill their personal responsibility for procurement risk and expense.

2. COMPETITIVE SUPPLY

Public procurement must be carried out by competitive process unless specifically justified in accordance with this Law or Government policy.

3. CONSISTENCY

Procurement policy shall be similar and consistent across the public sector.

4. EFFECTIVENESS

In a balanced way suited to the procurement requirement, public sector firms should maximize their contribution to the government’s commercial, regulatory, and socioeconomic goals.

5. VALUE FOR MONEY

Throughout the project’s life cycle, procurement activities should be carried out to obtain the best possible mix of cost, quality, and sustainability.

6. FAIR-DEALING

Suppliers should be handled fairly and without discrimination, with commercial confidentiality protected where necessary. Suppliers and potential suppliers should not be subjected to undue burdens or restrictions from public sector enterprises.

7. INTEGRATION

It’s important to consider how procurement strategy affects the Cabinet’s other economic and social objectives.

8. INTEGRITY

Corruption or collaboration with suppliers or other parties involved in a procurement project are prohibited.

9. INFORMED DECISION-MAKING

Entities in the public sector are obligated to make decisions based on reliable information and to monitor commitments to ensure that they are met.

10. LEGALITY

Public sector entities shall conform to legal requirements.

11. RESPONSIVENESS

The goals, expectations, and needs of the community serviced by the procurement should be met by public sector enterprises.

12. TRANSPARENCY

Public sector enterprises should guarantee that the procurement policy is carried out in an open and transparent manner, including all actions and decisions.