Transparency and Monitoring of Public Procurement Contract Performance

Abstract

This study analyzes the monitoring of public pro­curement contracts’ performance in six countries under EU public procurement rules: Finland, Portu­gal, Slovenia, Italy, Hungary, and Serbia. Through an in-depth comparative analysis, we explore the nexus between perceived corruption in these countries and the contract performance monitoring systems es­tablished or in the making. The analysis centers on four key aspects: the or­ganizational framework, the redress system, the IT infrastructure, and the level of data publicity in each country’s procurement landscape. Expert evalua­tions conducted by national specialists unveil which countries pay less attention to public contract per­formance monitoring and transparency.Our findings indicate that countries facing higher corruption rates tend to place greater emphasis on transparency and contract performance monitoring. Moreover, countries greatly differ in their organiza­tional setup, objectives, and monitoring tools, includ­ing IT adoption.The insights derived from this study can influence policy and reform efforts focused on the contract phase of public procurement, leading to a more accountable and efficient procurement landscape across Europe.

Keywords

• public procurement
• monitoring
• contract performance
• contract modification
• corruption.