User talk:CONTRACT MONITORING KENYA NETWORK

Background

Kenya is a developing country with a population of approximately 40 million and average annual national budget of Kshs. 1.1 trillion. It is estimated that 60% of the government’s expenditure used for the procurement of goods, works and services and that public procurement accounts for 11% of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product. However information on procurement and public contracts in public institutions is shrouded in secrecy despite the enactment of the new constitution that provides for freedom of information. Further, the country lacks a common framework for monitoring government/ public contracts reducing the impact of monitoring. This monitoring is necessary to ensure satisfactory completion of all of the functions, activities and services that have been negotiated to be delivered for the public benefit. The monitoring make certain that the contractor(s) performs as expected throughout the entire duration of the contracted period and delivers sufficiently, efficiently and effectively as required.

In 2011, a multi-stakeholder group was formed that brought together various stakeholders with the main objective of infusing transparency and accountability service delivery for Kenyan citizens. There is recognition that, Kenya, like many developing countries, has reported increased mega corruption incidences in the award of contracts within the public sector, which has led to poor performance of the economy, unsatisfactory and poor public service delivery, loss of public funds, and high cost of essential goods and services. Further, the problem is compounded by the lack of information and the veil of bureaucracy dawned by public institutions. The citizens who are the primary beneficiaries of such public expenditures remain in the dark about how their taxes are spent and are voiceless even if they recognize the poor levels of services and goods being offered. It is upon this realization that this multi-stakeholder group conceived the idea of forming a contract monitoring initiative with the main objective of monitoring public contracts in four key sectors i.e education, water, construction industry (particularly in roads/transport infrastructure) and health (mainly in pharmaceuticals) The network seeks to determine the status of contract monitoring in Kenya within the aforementioned Key sectors and create avenues for citizen participation and transparency in the award and performance of public contracts. The inception project for the net is a baseline study to review on the status of public contracting in Kenya which will advise future interventions of the network. At a policy level, it is expected that the information will inform policy makers on the gaps in public contracting and the need for a common framework for monitoring public contracting. Structure of the network

The network is an  informal network brings together stakeholders from government civil society and the private sector bound together by an memorandum of understanding aand is coordination of the lead convener, Transparency International Kenya (TI-K). The membership to the network is voluntary and the MoU signed by the members of the network sets out the partnership principles and values that guide the membership. Under the health component CMNK members have a subgroup that focuses on pharmaceutical procurement known as the Forum for Transparency and Accountability in Pharmaceutical Procurement (FoTAPP) which is a multi-stakeholder group whose objective is to enhance transparency and accountability in pharmaceutical procurement.  The current members of the CMKN include:

•	Transparency International-Kenya(TI) •	Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM) •	Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) •	International Commission of Jurist of Kenya (ICJ) •	Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) •	Strathmore University •	The Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA) •	Management Science for Health, Kenya (MSH-K) •	Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) •	National Tax Payers Association (NTA) •	Internews network •	Kenya Association for the Welfare of People with Epilepsy (KAWE) •	Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN) •	Consumer Information Network (CIN) •	Health Action International Africa (HAI) •	Kenya Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (KFPM) •	The Kenya Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). •	Internews Kenya •	Forum for Transparency and Accountability in Pharmaceutical Procurment (FoTAPP) •	Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM)  Current programmes and activities

1.	Identify corruption risks/gaps in the procurement processes of the national supply chain •	Base line study on public contracting in Kenya.

2.	Improving partners /stakeholder’s knowledge & understanding on contract monitoring. •	Development of IEC /branding materials •	Development monitoring framework/tool •	capacity building on contract monitoring

3.	Developing a central repository for public contract

4.	Enhance Monitoring Mechanism & Citizens role in curbing poor governance/corruption •	Develop a CSO /Citizen contract monitoring  tools & reporting framework •	Training of CSOs/Community representatives on service delivery monitoring

5.	 Mobile Drug Tracking (MDT) System for access to essential & quality drugs •	Design and develop mobile tracking system prototype