Calls for NZ procurement ombudsman

16 Nov 2010

Source: Stuff NZ
Industry group NZICT is calling for the establishment of a 'procurement ombudsman' to resolve complaints about the handling of government tenders.

Chief executive Brett O'Riley said technology firms had for a long time felt unable to pursue complaints for fear of harming their relationships with public sector clients. "Issues that the industry have talked about are when a request for information or a request for proposals has been released and there's been no decision, so companies have incurred costs on the basis that something would proceed. But also where the scope [of a tender] has changed in the middle of a process, and situations where there's been breaches in confidentiality."

A procurement reform group – which NZICT was a part of – had revised and republished the procurement complaints process. NZICT will suggest to the Economic Development Ministry that an ombudsman be set up.
The ombudsman job could be a dedicated position or picked up by someone in a similar role, and would apply to all procurement, not just ICT, Mr O’Riley said.

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