OPERATION: PROCUREMENT REFORM
sessions and professional development courses to enhance the procurement workforce. It is also creating the Afghan- istan National Procurement Institute to replace the Public Procurement Train- ing Center, and is updating curricula to incorporate recent revisions to public pro- curement law and the rules of procedure for public procurement. In addition, the Procurement Reform Branch has opened discussions with the Defense Acquisi- tion University to develop a certification
program for Afghan procurement pro- fessionals, similar to the one for DOD acquisition professionals.
In modifying Afghanistan’s procurement processes,
Authority has been instrumental
the National Procurement in
streamlining them for greater efficiency, while still maintaining the appropriate level of oversight to identify and elimi- nate potential corruption. As one of its major duties, the authority serves as the final quality control mechanism for all procurements of goods and services over $300,000. By serving as the inde- pendent agent for Afghan procurement, the authority identifies inconsistencies with contract packages that could be associated with potential corruption and makes recommendations to Ghani’s pro- curement commission on the award of the contract. Transparency in the pro- curement
system provides the citizens
of Afghanistan the assurance they need to begin the initial steps in trusting the government.
Changes in policy proposed by the EARNEST MONEY
Personnel from the 205th Corps of the Afghan National Army accept bids for three solar power projects and a separate construction project in June 2015 in Kandahar. In a sign of progress toward transparency in procure- ment, the current contracting bid process in Afghanistan requires vendors to bring a cash deposit to the bid opening as a good-faith demonstration that the vendor has the assets to perform the required services. Previously, a vendor had to provide only a letter of credit, a process subject to corruption since vendors could simply bribe bank employees to provide fraudulent letters of credit. (Photo courtesy of 7th Infantry Division)
National Procurement Authority have been instrumental in attempting to curb corruption. Te changes have strength- ened oversight and accountability in the procurement system throughout all of the procurement entities in Afghani- stan. Te updated procurement law also established the Disputes Resolution Commission, a body specifically designed to allow vendors to bring procurement irregularities and disputes forward for resolution. Before the commission’s cre- ation,
vendors who had procurement
complaints didn’t have a viable system to pursue a lawful resolution.
Te changes in policy and procurement laws are long overdue and will take time to penetrate the procurement system, but the foundation is being laid for lawful reform.
18
CONCLUSION Te government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan must realize a transpar- ent procurement system if there is any chance of legitimacy taking hold in the country. In the absence of a transparent system, Afghanistan will always struggle to break free of its designation as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Te National Procurement Authority has taken great strides to increase the transparency of the public procurement system in Afghanistan, but more work is needed.
Te operational approach between the National
developed Procurement
Authority and the Procurement Reform Branch offers Afghanistan the best chance at creating the long-term unity of effort that is needed to make Ghani’s vision a reality for Afghanistan’s procure- ment system. Contrary to popular belief, the national unity government is moving Afghanistan in the right direction with the governance to make the country a viable, independent nation providing security and economic prosperity for all its citizens.
For more information, go to the National Procurement Authority’s Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/National- Procurement-Authority-8339521 73357446/.
COL CHARLES WORSHIM III is direc- tor of CSTC-A’s Contracting Enabler Cell. He holds a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College, an MBA in computer information systems from the University of Texas at El Paso and a BBA from Texas A&M University – Kingsville. He
is Level III certified in
program management, test and evaluation, and information technology, and is a mem- ber of the Army Acquisition Corps.
Army AL&T Magazine April-June 2016
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203
