Rquest for input to a procurement bottleneck study

Dear members:

My colleague, Todd Dickens (PATH), and I are seeking your input to a procurement bottleneck study contracted by the USAID/DELIVER Project.

Procurement bottlenecks in developing country health systems often result in program crippling shortages and stock-outs. Family planning, immunization, and HIV/AIDS programs are especially vulnerable. Delays also harm programs that dispense essential drugs, malaria and TB medicines, and or need laboratory supplies and equipment.

As part of their ongoing work in health logistics, PATH, on behalf of the USAID/DELIVER Project, has undertaken an activity that proposes to identify and analyze case studies of country situations where procurement problems/bottlenecks have been successfully overcome or where current interventions are showing positive results. While procurement of health commodities at the central/government level is the main focus, stories from other sectors and levels will be useful.

Interventions to address procurement challenges fall into four main categories:
• Policy, legal and structural change
• Long term capacity building
• Medium term measures such as embedding expert personnel
• Short term coping/resolution of immediate, specific problems

The objective of this study is to provide insight to other countries seeking to resolve their own bottlenecks. While there is a growing body of high-level procurement studies and a strong focus on long term capacity building, the value-added feature of our work is inclusion of successful strategies and practical ways the “little guy” can cope with an immediate, specific procurement problem.

We are hoping to find people who are willing to share stories of procurement bottlenecks that were successfully addressed, either their own or ones they know about. Imagine my excitement when I found the following in the “key resources” section of PCDC’s website:

(Excerpt from “Summary Minutes of May 2010 First Meeting of DAC Task Force on Procurement)

The OECD/DAC Global Partnership on Country Systems was created following the High Level Forum in Accra in 2008. It is co-chaired by the USA and Ghana and draws on the work of the Task Forces on Procurement and Public Financial Management. In response to partner country requests for political and technical support to take action on the opportunities and constraints regarding strengthening and using country systems, the Global Partnership has supported three Country Systems Initiatives in Ghana, Malawi and recently in Mali. Phase I of the Initiative involves a dialog between the Government and its ministries and civil society and with donors and development partners to identify the constraints and opportunities in strengthening and using country systems. Phase II, about to start in Ghana, involves the Government and its stakeholders discussing concrete steps to reduce bottlenecks. Phase III will involve implementing these concrete steps.

Nine months have passed since the DAC Task Force meeting on procurement and we are very interested to learn how this effort is progressing. Can anyone provide an update on this? (If necessary, country identities can be kept confidential.)

We would be most grateful for your input, ideas and referrals to others who might be willing to share relevant success stories and information.

Best regards,
Dian Woodle
Independent Consultant
woodled@olypen.com

For more information about the PATH USAID/DELIVER study, two documents are attached: 1) a table of common bottlenecks and 2) a set of definitions.