2017-12-08
The National Audit Office has evaluated the public procurement system of the Ministry of National Defence
The “Public Procurement Organizing in the National Defence System” audit prepared by the National Audit Office shows that the acquisition field’s rearrangements, which the Ministry of National Defence is implementing since the end of 2016, contribute to the increase of the efficiency of public procurement system. However, the system has certain risks, which the Ministry will have to manage.
„The means, which are being implemented at the moment, such as the national defence system’s centralized acquisitions, increase the effectiveness of the system. However, in order to ensure a proper future functioning of this system, we recommend to constantly analyse the risk factors associated with acquisitions’ centralization process, for example, a higher chance of corruption emergence”, - states the National Auditor Živilė Uždavinytė-Kerbelė.
Other aspects are also noticeable in the audit report. Part of the public procurement organizing and execution functions are carried-out by specialists to whom this is not a primary function, which is why it is important to ensure information regarding the process involvement of these specialists. Without having information about the employees participating in the procurement organizing and execution process, there is no possibility to ensure to the public procurement related competence evaluation of these specialists.
At average, approximately 17 thousand of procurements are carried-out annually, which is why in order to ensure a constant public procurement system’s enhancement process, in their recommendations the auditors indicate to envisage a proper system monitoring mechanism, which would encompass the analysis of the determined activity effectiveness and the competence evaluation of specialists participating in the public procurement process. Only constant analysis and enhancement would allow increasing the quality of public procurements.
In the carried-out audit recommendations, it is indicated to continuously perform analysis of risk factors, which are associated with public procurement centralization process. It is envisaged to prepare the system analysis until the end of the upcoming year.
The National Audit Office performed an audit for the third quarter of 2016-2017. This quarter was chosen in regards to the in 2016 started reorganization of the public procurement system of national defence.
Currently, the National Audit Office is carrying-out the “Functioning of Public Procurement System” audit.