Kosovo’s public procurement process has recently seen major breakthroughs in becoming more transparent and accountable. Collaborating with 15 municipalities in Kosovo, USAID’s Transparent Effective and Accountable Municipalities Activity (TEAM) placed local advisors in finance and contract management, auditing, and procurement in each municipality’s procurement office. They shared knowledge, tools, and support on a daily basis, and over time, the 15 municipalities modernized their procurement processes and reduced their vulnerability to corruption.
Astrit Mullabazi is the procurement manager at the Municipality of Rahovec, a town in the district of Prizren. A recurring problem for Astrit was that he was using the lowest cost as the only criteria for selecting winners. This inevitably backfired, translating into low-quality products and poorly constructed facilities that quickly became non-functional. Astrit in Rahovec, and procurement officials in the selected municipalities, put in place revised criteria that leveled the playing field for applicants. The Municipality of Rahovec immediately saw the benefits of this new approach in the construction of a museum in Krusha e Madhe. Astrit proudly reflected, “This time being a winner…meant offering the best products and exceeding expectations. It meant economically advantageous – getting the lowest price for the best quality.”
USAID-supported municipalities became trailblazers in making the procurement process transparent. In 2018, Gjakova became the first municipality in Kosovo to publish entire contracts on its website in an accessible and user-friendly format. The other municipalities that were part of the USAID activity quickly followed, including Rahovec. Remarking on this advancement, Astrit proudly noted: “In [the] last two years, [the Municipality of Rahovec was] ranked among top-performing municipalities in transparency.”
USAID-supported municipalities are now leaders in transparent and efficient procurement, improved public services, and enhanced public trust.
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