USTDA Partners With The Government Of Panama To Promote Value-Based Procurement

December 13, 2016

(USTDA) PANAMA CITY, Panama – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Panama, formalizing their partnership under the Global Procurement Initiative: Understanding Best Value (GPI). Under the agreement, USTDA will support the efforts of the Dirección General de Contrataciones Públicas (DGCP) to integrate best-value determinations into public tenders, foster fair and transparent international competition, and promote the long-term professionalization of the procurement workforce.

“This partnership advances the Government of Panama’s robust efforts to promote transparency and good governance, with the overarching goal of obtaining the best value and highest quality for their funds,” said Kevin O’Reilly, U.S. Embassy Panama Deputy Chief of Mission.

“The Panamanian government is committed to improving the public procurement system to obtain more transparency and efficiency in the public administration,” said DGCP Director Eduardo Corro, who signed the MOU along with Andrea Lupo, USTDA’s Director for Global Programs.

USTDA and DGCP are initiating their GPI partnership with a three-day training workshop, which will provide over 60 Panamanian government officials with access to leading procurement experts, including professors from the George Washington University’s Government Procurement Law Program as well as energy and transportation technical specialists. Representatives from DGCP will also present an overview of their procurement legal framework.

Under the GPI, USTDA will support Panama’s ongoing achievements in efficient investment in sustainable infrastructure, while advancing the GPI’s mission to level the playing field for businesses competing in international tenders. It will build upon USTDA’s history of working with its Panamanian partners to identify high-quality solutions for their infrastructure projects, particularly in the areas of transportation, aviation, energy and the environment.

Following this week’s workshop, USTDA will invite a group of senior Panamanian officials to the United States to share best practices and lessons learned from U.S. federal, state and municipal procurement systems.

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