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The Procurement, Integrity, Management and Openness (PRIMO) Forum (previously called the Public Procurement Knowledge Exchange Forum) was initiated by the World Bank in 2005, which was an important milestone in sharing knowledge and experiences in public procurement reform. The Forum also provided peer-to-peer capacity building to participating countries. 

More than a decade since representatives from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan first met to develop a common platform to learn from each other, this initiative has grown into an annual Platform and has spurred the creation of an influential community of practice spanning more than 24 countries throughout the Europe & Central Asia region, and beyond.

Procurement and Implementation in Public Investment Projects

Public investment projects absorb a considerable amount of public spending to improve public infrastructure and service delivery. Together with private investments, they provide the backbone of economic development and their successful implementation depends on the quality of governance and control arrangements.

The volume of investment procurement alone is estimated to be around 75% of total government procurement. In this context, public procurement plays an essential role throughout the whole project cycle including planning, execution, and contract management.

Inefficiency in the procurement system can thus have significant effects both macroeconomically and on the cost-benefit rationale for investment decisions. Both results could adversely affect the economic welfare of citizens. Therefore, procurement needs to be understood in the context of the broader functioning of the public sector and not as a self-standing system.

The PRIMO Forum 2019 provides a platform to share country experiences in managing the procurement and implementation of public investments at national, regional, and local levels.