Paraguay: How open data has transformed Paraguay’s public procurement

A years-long campaign to provide access to government information resulted in open data across the full procurement cycle, enabling journalists and CSOs to monitor government spending. The country’s procurement agency DNCP modernized its system including tools such as a policy on buying frequently purchased goods and a red flags dashboard. The agency’s open and data-driven approach continues to underpin its digitization efforts and has set them up to respond quickly to needs for example during the pandemic.

Key open contracting strategies

A central open contracting e-procurement platform Timely open data including enables procurement agency can monitor and maintain efficiency and value for money even during a crisis SMEs awareness campaigns Civil society and journalists are empowered for monitoring public procurement Students are enabled to track budgets and contracts to increase spending to most needed schools

Summary

Challenge
Inefficiency and corruption plague Paraguay’s public spending. In one example, inflated contracts for basic goods at the Ministry of Education triggered widespread protests.

Open contracting approach
A years-long campaign to provide access to government information resulted in open data across the full procurement cycle, enabling journalists and CSOs to monitor government spending. The country’s procurement agency DNCP modernized its system including tools such as a policy on buying frequently purchased goods and a red flags dashboard. Building on its existing open contracting ecosystem, Paraguay made publicly available information and dashboards on emergency procurement within weeks of the pandemic starting as well as offering new guidance and coordination for all procuring agencies. The government implemented more controls in COVID-19 purchases and included COVID-19-related items in their virtual catalog for faster and better emergency purchasing. Most recent reforms include opening up opportunities for small businesses. Buying fast, and transparently, is possible with open contracting.

Results:

  • Prices for protective equipment became 10x cheaper & tendering 10x faster than at the beginning of the pandemic.
  • Early open contracting reforms increased savings and value for money, as well as reduced failed tenders. Amendments to contracting processes dropped from 19% to just 3% after the 2015 open procurement reforms.
  • More than 80% of the schools most in need now receive funding, compared to fewer than 20% in 2015.
  • Participation by smaller businesses has steadily increased since the reforms started. By end of 2023, nearly half of all tenders were tagged with the new “suitable for MSMEs” label (introduced as part of the Lift project), and around one in four of these procedures were awarded to an MSME.

Most recent reforms at a glance

Key stats

Competition
Participation by smaller businesses has steadily increased since the reforms started. By end of 2023, nearly half of all tenders were tagged with the new “suitable for MSMEs” label, and around one in four of these procedures were awarded to an MSME. From the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2023:

  • the share of bids by MSMEs in all procurement categories rose by almost 9pp (from 15% to 24%);
  • the share of unique MSME bidders rose by more than 7 pp (from 10% to 18%);
  • the share of contracts awarded to MSMEs rose by 8.5 pp (from 13% to 22%);
  • the share of procedures with at least one bid by an MSME rose nearly 14 pp (from 30% to 44%);
  • the share of the value awarded to MSMEs almost doubled, from 2.6% to 4.9%.
Efficiency
DNCP’s open and data-driven approach underpins procurement modernization and digitization, setting them up for an agile response during the pandemic. Prices for protective equipment became 10x cheaper and tendering 10x faster than normal.
Amendments to contracting processes dropped from 19% to just 3% after the 2015 open procurement reforms.
Citizen monitoring
A dramatic improvement in how funds for school facilities are allocated in Ciudad del Este over the last three years. More than 80% of the schools most in need now receive funding, compared to fewer than 20% in 2015.

“Open data has made the process quicker, but public pressure from the community is the main reason the municipality is paying attention to the Fonacide fund. The data becomes a tool for translating that situation into something that can be backed by evidence from the open contracting portal and sending that to the public to harness the movement behind it.”

David Riveros García, founder of reAccion