Regulation is an integral part of public procurement systems, and through these regulations we can create platforms to incorporate practices and models to update the management of contracts to obtain optimal and timely results. Much of the public budget is spent on the provision of goods, services and infrastructure, imposing significant challenges to countries, their governing bodies and the private sector to develop a balance among the interests of citizens, contractors and public agencies related to these projects.

There are current initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as in other international areas that have been developing modern elements in public procurement regulations. This led to a reform of the regulatory structure of countries and a redefinition of the traditional concepts of supply, public procurement, dispute resolution mechanisms, monitoring and control, and new ways to undertake infrastructure projects with joint participation of the state and the private sector. This is why the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement and its members have decided to include these issues to the 2015 agenda.

General Objective:

Understand and analyze regional and extra-regional regulatory developments in the provision of goods, services and infrastructure, and issues impacting its management. Share best practices implemented in Latin America and the Caribbean. Identify topics, alternatives and regulatory reform experiences from countries in the region.

Specific Objectives:

As a result of the workshop activities, participants:

• Know and identify the latest regulatory developments in international procurement.
• Know and share successful experiences undertaken by countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in when assuming new regulatory models.
• Understand and share the positions of the countries regarding leadership, supervision and control models in public procurement.
• Understand the current developments and international models for the settlement of contractual disputes.
• Know and identify international and local developments in the field of Public-Private Participation projects and corresponding regulation.

Workshop Topics:

1. Reforms and regulatory models in Latin America and the Caribbean.
2. Policy reforms in the public procurement system as part of governance systems.
3. Consistency on supervision rules and control in public procurement.
4. Mechanisms for dispute resolution, particularly Dispute Boards.
5. Reforms and regulations on the promotion of competition and sustainable procurement in the infrastructure market.
6. The regulation of public-private partnership schemes faced with the state procurement rules.

Coordinator and facilitator:

Roberto Laguado, Procurement Specialist of the Inter-American Development Bank – VPC / FMP