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Add to Preferred SourcesActing on lessons learned from a devastating 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the World Bank are partnering with governments of countries in the Region to harness public procurement to improve disaster preparedness and response.
A recent World Bank study found that disasters impact gross domestic product in developing states, at a rate 20 times higher than in industrialized nations, causing greater disruption and severe consequences for vulnerable members of society.
“At the heart of the issue, is the management of the procurement and contracting process within the public sector,” Cheryl Dixon, Coordinator, Environmental Sustainability Unit, CDB told regional procurement and emergency response officials attending a Procurement in Emergency Situations workshop at the Bank on June 4 and 5.
With natural hazards increasing in frequency and intensity, Dixon stressed the importance of a greater understanding of why procurement under these conditions is unique, adding that too often, public procurement frameworks and systems do not give sufficient attention to procurement in the context of disasters.
“Procurement to prepare for and respond to natural disasters is an area of specialism within the broader public procurement field,” she said. “Systems that fail to respond effectively during and after disasters can have long-term negative impacts on the recovery and resilience of societies,” Dixon added.
During his presentation to workshop participants, Joao Veiga Malta, Practice Manager, the World Bank Group, emphasized the need for procuring entities to have flexibility in how they procure goods, works and services required for disaster response.
They should be permitted to forego routine procurement procedures in favour of faster, more flexible procedures while ensuring that maintaining accountability and transparency remains a priority, he shared.
Original source: CARIBANK
Published on 13 June 2018