Critical Phases in the Process of Awarding Public Procurement Contracts: A Romania Case Study

Abstract

Public procurement is an important part of the current economic reality. The economic development of Romanian companies taking part in the bidding process closely depends on the national public system and it cannot be achieved without an efficient and correct procurement process. This study is focused on the irregularities found as a result of a complex research regarding the public procurement system. The main objective of this research is to build a model- an applicable strategy for identifying irregularities in procurement procedures and, as such avoiding them, by taking into consideration the particularities of the bidding process, its content and methods. The number of procurement appeals gives information about participant companies’ level of dissatisfaction, while the number of the admitted appeals shows the real leaks from the system. Considering these aspects, the current paper discusses about the public procurement process and it presents the critical phases of the public procurement procedure, by emphasizing the possible weaknesses and activities that can generate irregularities in this area. Thus, by analyzing the content of many officially admitted complaints related to the public bidding process, the paper reveals the main problematic aspects of the public procurement system, contributing thus to improvement and increased satisfaction for all participants taking part in the process.

Keywords

• Public procurement
• critical phases
• complains
• irregularities
• development