Tanzanian public servants trained in effective contract negotiations and management

Tanzanian public servants have been trained to better understand, negotiate and manage contracts in a bid to help reduce government expenditure and public debt.

The two-week workshop in Bagamoyo, Tanzania from 24 September to 5 October 2007, was attended by over 60 officers. Discussions took place on the best practices to cut down the cost of expensive methods used in contracting services.

Private entrepreneurs and corporates often use complicated legal jargon, which can be misunderstood by public servants. “Delayed payments” and “interest rates” are examples of clauses that are easily manipulated in contracts leading to dire consequences, said Dunstan Maina, Adviser on East Africa at the Secretariat.

Stressing the importance of the programme, he noted that “improved contract administration skills and knowledge ultimately supports governments’ cost containment and prudent public expenditure efforts.”

Mr Maina explained that on average more than 60 per cent of public resources are spent on procurement of goods and services annually, and that it was therefore essential to ensure that governments obtain value for money in all types of procurement contracts and thereby reduce debt.

The programme was a joint collaboration between the Governance and Institutional Development Division (GIDD) and the Department of Public Service Management, Tanzania. It was financed by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC).

It aimed to strengthen the skills and knowledge of public officers in negotiating and managing public contracts, in order to minimize incidences of poorly negotiated and expensive contracts which invariably contribute to the current large public debt in most African countries.

The officers were drawn from all ministries and government departments from mainland Tanzania and the island of Zanzibar.

Areas covered during the workshop included: solicitation, negotiation objectives, contract administration, policies communication and monitoring procedures, contract analysis, and claims and disputes.

Key Links:

• Country Profile: Tanzania
• Governance
• Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation