LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi School of Government (MSG) and Government Contracts Unit (GCU) are reviewing the Contract Management Training Guide (CMTG) with an expectation of improving contract implementation which bidders get from the government.
Principal Secretary for the Department of Procurement and Supply Services in the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) Jean Munyenyembe observes that poor contracts management has cost government heavily in awarding unwarranted money to bidders.
Munyenyembe adds that the government is losing taxpayers money due to poor contracts management hence the need for an effective training manual.
She was speaking on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, when opening the validation workshop of the revised contract management training guide at the MSG Kanengo campus in the capital Lilongwe.
MSG developed the manual for training managers in both private and government agencies.
“More than 60 percent of the national budget is spent through the procurement of goods and services, we reviewed CMTG as an instrument to enhance the core competencies of MDA staff for effective management of contracts.
“Huge some of money are lost during contract implementation through poor products that do not meet minimum specifications, and unsolicited claims, variations, and payment arrears. The beneficiaries of such claims are left free because there is no law that ties a strong responsibility to such acts,” says Munyenyembe.
She adds, “The government’s route towards capacity enhancement of the senior staff in contract management is just one aspect of good financial governance. What is more required is for all of us, as Malawians, to embrace our ethics and professionalism in the management of public contracts. It is all our duty to ensure that our staff must not only know contract management processes but must also apply this knowledge.
“It is also our duty to ensure that all the financial and technical resources that are being channeled towards supporting the implementation and management of public contracts are managed transparently and with the highest levels of professionalism and integrity”.
MSG’s Acting Director of Academic Affairs Lameck Malekano Chimphero expects a quality and effective training manual at the end of the validation workshop.
Chimphero says the workshop wants to consolidate inputs from learners on how best to improve the training guide.
“The validation workshop will generate valuable and useful input from our delegates to improve the training manual which is meant to address skills gaps of employees in public service. As you are all aware, there have been incidences of contract mismanagement in the procurement of goods, services, and works in the Malawi Public Service.
“We have been receiving support from GIZ since 2019 through the Public Finance and Economic Strengthening Programme (PFEM) for the development of the first training manual, which was officially launched in March 2022.,” he said.
With financial and technical support from GIZ, the workshop has attracted participants 25 delegates from various organizations and institutions in Malawi.