How infrastructure procurement can enhance social development

This paper reports the findings of a study by Engineers Against Poverty and the Institution of Civil Engineers into the factors in infrastructure procurement that are currently inhibiting the achievement of social development objectives. The paper explores the impact/performance of the asset and the service it delivers (the product), and the opportunities during the project's construction and operation (the process). The study adopted a very broad definition of ‘procurement’ to embrace all stages from project identification to the final monitoring, enforcement and evaluation. Methods included reviews of procurement documentation and practice in four case-study countries (India, Indonesia, Kenya and Nigeria), round-table discussions and in-depth interviews with stakeholders. This yielded a long list of inhibiting factors but also some encouraging efforts at reform. The paper concludes that procurement procedures and contract agreement have the potential to promote social objectives. However, the objectives should be clearly identified in the project design; the budget and procurement strategy have to be appropriate; and implementation must be monitored and enforced.