Guidance Note: Procurement Capacity Assessment

DATE: July 15, 2002

SUBJECT: Revised Instruction for Carrying out Assessment of Agency's Capacity Assessment to Implement Procurement; Setting of Prior-Review Thresholds and Procurement Supervision Plan

1. Attached is the revised instruction on how to conduct an assessment of an implementing agency's capacity to carry out project procurement. It also explains how to establish prior-review thresholds for investment operations, and how to formulate the supervision plan for procurement.

2. The revised instructions have: (i) simplified the reporting (Attachments 1 and 2 of the instruction are for guidance only and no longer mandatory); (ii) increased prior-review thresholds; and (iii) eliminated the requirement to review consultant Terms of Reference, except for contracts subject to prior review.

3. The procurement specialist or the procurement accredited staff assigned to the project is responsible for carrying out the assessment and must prepare and sign a summary report on their findings and recommended actions, which should be submitted to the Regional Procurement Advisor as part of the project package submitted for clearance.

4. Questions on this instruction should be addressed to the appropriate Regional Procurement Adviser or the Manager, Procurement Policy and Services Group, Operations Policy and Country Services Network (OPCPR).

Procurement Policy and Services Group, OPCPR