Transparency of procurement management via the project management tools

Abstract

Introduction. From a procurement perspective, it is of great importance to both ensure the relevant application of the core principles (such as openness, accountability, fulfillment of the core, scope, budget and time, etc.) within the necessary efforts to introduce project management capacities, essential to boosting public administrations potentials in embedding transparency. In this view, it is necessary to study this concept from a perspective concerning key procedural managerial activities that affect outcomes in the public procurement process. Although the concept of transparency has been well introduced into the public procurement domain, the issue of employing the project management tools requires deeper investigations. Purpose. The paper aims at analyzing the contemporary developments in the procurement process within the framework of project management from the point of view of possibilities to employ the project managements tools in the process of the public procurement, ensuring the provision for the additive impact of those additions on the supporting the underlying principle of transparency. Methodology. The results presented in this paper are based on a literature survey, where the bibliographical research, both descriptive and analytical, was the main research method, following the elements of the thematic analysis. Results. This paper aimed to explore ways to improve public procurement procedures adapting the elements of the project management approach at the different stages of the procurement. Results showed that, first, developing an appropriate set of project management tools is an effective method to improve public procurement activities, and ensuring transparency is the most critical factor of efficiency in this system. These results have provided several new insights in improving public procurement procedures via customization the project procurement procedure based on the scope and essence of projects, enhanced realignment of the roles and responsibilities of the procurement actors in planning, supervising, and controlling the activities, focusing on the critical controls to support the implementation of the procurement process by identifying the problems and taking immediate actions to realign activities taking into account the risks and uncertainties.