RICG - Red Interamericana de Compras Gubernamentales

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XIX INGP ANNUAL CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 28–30, 2025, BARRANQUILLA, COLOMBIA

Find in the RICG database information organized by thematics, countries and type.

Capacity Building Dialogue Institutional cooperation Knowledge General Aspects of Public Procurement

During October 28–30, 2025, the XIX Annual Conference of the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement (INGP) was held in Barranquilla, Colombia, under the central theme “Effective Public Procurement: The Key to Connecting Policies with Impact.” The conference was co-organized by the Organization of American States (OAS), as the Technical Secretariat of the INGP, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the Agencia Nacional Colombia Compra Eficiente (AN-CCE), with the support of more than 20 sponsors and collaborating organizations from multilateral institutions, academia, and the private sector.

For more information about the agenda, please visit: www.colombiacompra.gov.co

During the first two days of the event, more than 500 participants attended, including representatives from national and local public sector institutions from various jurisdictions, heads of national public procurement authorities from 30 INGP member and observer countries, 43 panelists from the public and private sectors, and representatives from 10 international and multilateral organizations.

The opening ceremony featured remarks by Cristóbal Padilla, Director of AN-CCE; Helena Fonseca, Technical Secretary of the INGP and Principal Specialist of the OAS Public Procurement Program; Pablo Angelelli, Head of Operations of the IDB in Colombia; and Naomi Akoy-Bouguenon, Acting Head of Procurement at the CDB.

Cristóbal Padilla noted:
“Our countries share similar challenges: improving spending efficiency, preventing corruption, including local small-scale economies, and ensuring that every contract generates real public value. For this reason, integrating our procurement systems and strengthening regional cooperation are not optional—they are strategic necessities.”

Helena Fonseca of the OAS emphasized that:
“Recognizing public procurement as a strategic instrument of the State allows us to connect public policy objectives with real impact through actions that contribute to improving people’s quality of life, reducing inequalities, fostering productive innovation, and transforming public value into citizen trust.”

Pablo Angelelli of the IDB stated that “every peso invested must translate into a tangible benefit for society,” highlighting the importance of procurement system interoperability and efficiency in public management. He underscored that transparency is the cornerstone upon which sustainable development is built.

Naomi Akoy-Bouguenon of the CDB complemented this message by highlighting that “the professionalization of the public procurement workforce is an essential pillar for reducing gaps and strengthening equal opportunities.”

In a keynote address, Carlos Pimentel, President of the INGP for the 2024–2026 term and Director General of Public Procurement of the Dominican Republic, stated that “public procurement not only fulfills administrative needs but must also become an economic and social engine.” He emphasized that its impact goes beyond procedures, influencing GDP growth, job creation, social inclusion, and gender equality.

Through various panels and knowledge sessions, participants highlighted the evolution of procurement systems toward more strategic management models based on public value, sustainability, innovation, and integrity. The analysis of recent legislative reforms demonstrated a paradigm shift in the region, moving beyond a purely administrative approach to consolidate public procurement as a strategic function of the State. This approach is grounded in shared principles such as planning, innovation, integrity, value for money, professionalization, and sustainability, strengthening institutional coherence and public spending efficiency.

Discussions also emphasized the importance of technology, data, and Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) as drivers of transformation. Participants highlighted how digital intelligence, predictive analytics, and innovative procurement procedures—such as competitive dialogue and innovation partnerships—enhance the State’s capacity to anticipate risks, generate novel solutions, and promote investment in research, development, and innovation (R&D&I). Sustainability, performance measurement, and cross-sectoral cooperation emerged as transversal pillars to strengthen competitiveness, transparency, and sustainable development. Overall, the conference reaffirmed that effective public procurement connects policies with tangible results, optimizes public spending through quality, sustainability, and innovation, and strengthens democratic governance through cooperation among countries and international organizations, consolidating public procurement as a strategic pillar for generating public value and strengthening citizen trust.

In addition, the OAS, as the Technical Secretariat of the INGP, formally adopted the Declaration “The Professionalization of Public Procurement as a Strategic Pillar for Improving Institutional Performance.” The declaration calls upon INGP member countries to establish a shared vision that consolidates the professionalization of public procurement as a strategic function of the State, ensuring competent, ethical, and committed public officials focused on generating public value, strengthening institutional performance, advancing good governance, achieving public policy objectives, and promoting a strategic, transparent, sustainable, and innovative management of public resources. Video: https://youtu.be/6OSJgikitA4

The conference also included the 2025 INGP Award for Innovation in Public Procurement, a joint initiative of the OAS, as Technical Secretariat of the INGP, and the IDB. The following initiatives were recognized:

• Overall Winner and Winner in the Category “Innovation in Institutional Reforms and/or Regulatory Frameworks”:
“From Method to Implementation: Co-Creation of the First Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) Policy and the Role of the Government Laboratory,” presented by the Government Laboratory of Chile in collaboration with ChileCompra and the Ministries of Finance and Economy of Chile, using a participatory and agile approach to co-create a national PPI policy.

• Winner in the Category “Innovation in the Development of Openness and Collaboration Strategies with Other Stakeholders”:“Innovation with Purpose: Home Peritoneal Dialysis Ecosystem,” presented by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social, Costa Rica.

• Winner in the Category “Institutional Change Management, Strategic Vision, and Innovation Culture”:
“PPI Training and Institutionalization Roadmap — Pilots and Governance (2023–2025),” presented by the Public Procurement Directorate of Costa Rica.

• Winner in the Category “Innovation in the Implementation of New Technologies and Digital Tools”:
“J.E.D.I.: The Public Procurement Nexus — The Digital Force Transforming Public Procurement,” presented by the General Services Administration of Puerto Rico.

Public session recordings:

• Day 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm8H9OSPfOc
• Day 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqswEEwung0

On the third day, the Private Session with National Directors of Public Procurement from INGP member countries was held. During this session, the OAS, in its role as Technical Secretariat of the INGP, presented the INGP 2024–2025 Management Report.

According to the agenda and the INGP statutes, new authorities for the 2026–2028 period were also elected:

– Presidency: Paraguay.
– Executive Committee:
o North America Region: Mexico.
o Caribbean Region: Trinidad and Tobago.
o Central America Region: Honduras.
o Andean Region: Colombia.
o Southern Cone Region: Uruguay
– Venue of the XIX Annual Conference 2026: Monterrey, Mexico