Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

Good Practices and InnovATIONS in Public Governance
An additional aid to sustainability is the decision of the Council of Ministers to implement
e-procurement at all levels of government. All purchasing agents, whether
they are in the central office issuing national contracts or in local offices issuing
contracts for municipalities and communes, must use ALBEPS for purchases over
3,000 euros.
Albania’s success with ALBEPS suggests that this initiative is transferable. E-
procurement systems can be especially practicable for small countries with moderate
technical capacities and expertise. E-procurement is also feasible in western
developed countries with fewer technological resources and less extensive
infrastructure, because Albania’s experience shows that if political leaders are
strongly committed to good and transparent governance, technical challenges are
not a problem.
Lessons Learned
The main obstacles for implementing e-procurement in Albania were the lack of
telecommunications infrastructure, lack of available training for the public administration
staff, and scepticism among public authorities for the success of this initiative.
Other obstacles were the lack of relevant experience and the difficulty in finding expertise,
especially for security-related challenges.
The use of information technology to handle public procurement has had positive
results for Albania. ALBEPS is less expensive than traditional paper-based procurement
systems, allows for faster processing and is “greener.” E-procurement also reduces
the possibility of corruption by reducing interaction between contracting officials
and bidders, and thus reducing the potential for inappropriate contacts.
Moreover, the electronic system is transparent, opening up more information to the
public and, most importantly, enhancing accountability, thus enabling more effective
and efficient use of taxpayers’ money.
Using ALBEPS leads to increased competition for government contracts, which increases
savings. Using ALBEPS facilitates the work of the procurement officers, who
publish the tender dossiers electronically on the Public Procurement Agency’s website
(www.app.gov.al). Thanks to the online availability of these documents, along
with online publication of procurement procedures, all potential vendors can learn
about contracts of interest, download complete information and take part in the bidding
electronically.
One final lesson learned is that without a consensus and decisive political leadership,
it would be difficult for a country with poorly developed infrastructure to implement
e-procurement nationwide. Moreover, any such initiative requires the commitment
and goodwill of the business community.
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