As part of a work from home modality, the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) continued its business online during April 2020.

The CPTU conducted a series of meetings using the virtual platforms to review progress of its routine activities and those under the Digitizing Implementation Monitoring and Public Procurement Project (DIMAPPP).

It has been implementing the DIMAPPP since July 2017 with support from the World Bank.

Secretary, IME Division, Mr. Abul Mansur Md. Faizullah, ndc, joined some of the meetings. The Director General (Joint Secretary) of CPTU, Mr. Md. Shoheler Rahman Chowdhury, presided over separate online meetings held on monthly coordination of CPTU and progress review of four components of the DIMAPPP. Senior Procurement Specialist of the WB and Task Team Leader of DIMAPPP Mr. Ishtiak Siddique and other WB officers and consultants also joined some of the virtual meetings. The meetings touched upon the following topics:  

1. Citizen Portal: On 5 April and 7 April 2020, in two sessions the DG CPTU chaired a meeting with Dnet to review the progress of preparation for public launching of the Citizen Portal under Component 3.  Officials of CPTU and Dnet joined the meeting on Zoom platform. The meeting discussed elaborately on all aspects of the portal meant for disclosure of relevant information on public procurement to citizens of the country. It was decided that Dnet would re-check the contents and other issues as per the feedback given by the participants of the meeting. The public launch of the Citizen Portal will also be done virtually if the present COVID situation continues.

2. National Tenderer Database (NTDB) in e-GP System : On 7 April 2020 in the afternoon, a demonstration on the National Tenderer Database (NTDB) in e-GP System of Bangladesh, was held through an online meeting. The NTDB has been developed by Dohatec New Media. The CPTU gave its feedback on the database. Implementation of International Competitive Bidding (ICB) through e-GP also came up for discussion. It was decided that ICB in the e-GP system will be piloted soon after Information System Audit by Independent Auditor. Documents required for launching international tender in e-GP have been finalized earlier.

3. Citizen Engagement: On 8 April 2020, the DG CPTU chaired another online meeting with BIGD to review the progress of implementation as per the contract under Component 3. The Secretary, IMED, joined the meeting on Google Meet as the Chief Guest. The DIMAPPP TTL also joined the meeting. The meeting laid thrust on devising a sustainability strategy for citizen monitoring of public procurement at the implementation level. As agreed in the meeting, the BIGD submitted the draft strategy which is now under scrutiny of CPTU and the WB.

4. Capacity Development and Professionalization: The Competency and Skills Framework and the Asset Disposal Policy developed by ITCILO, were reviewed in two sessions on 12 and 13 April 2020. The ITCILO has been working as the Capacity Development and Professionalization Consultant under DIMAPPP. The Secretary, IMED, joined both the sessions of the meeting as the chief guest and the DG CPTU chaired. It was decided that ITCILO would explore possibility of formation of Public Procurement Accreditation Board or Certification Authority in consultation with the Accreditation Board and Accreditation Council in order to implement Public Procurement Competency Framework under this project. Detailed discussion was held on the draft Asset Disposal Policy. It is expected that the ITCILO will submit final version in seven days from receiving comments to finalize it.

5. Monthly Coordination Meeting: The monthly coordination meeting of CPTU was held online on 19 April 2020. The meeting, with DG CPTU in the chair, discussed implementation of DIMAPPP and the appointment of Independent Auditor for Information System Audit. On the basis of the report of the Auditor, the CPTU will start inviting international tender in e-GP first on a pilot basis and then roll it out across the procuring agencies.

6. Meeting with ITCILO: Another web  meeting with ITCILO team in Dhaka was held on 20 April 2020. The DG CPTU chaired it and CPTU officials attended online from home. The meeting had an elaborate discussion on three training modules on public procurement titled, “ F2, F3 and F4.” The CPTU reviewed the modules developed by the ITC ILO. By 25 April 2020  suggestions on those in writing by CPTU officials were compiled for finalization of the documents. A separate presentation on an online training module was made from the Turin office of the ITCILO during the web meeting. The ITCILO developed the online training course comprising of three modules.  

7. Behavior Change Communication: Another online meeting was  held at 3pm with BCCP on 21 April 2020 on the progress of implementation and other issues related to behavior change communication on public procurement. The DG CPTU chaired the meeting. The project support consultant of the World Bank Mr Hafiz Al Mamun was present with CPTU and BCCP officials.

8. DIMAPPP Action Plan: A  Separate  meeting on the implementation of the agreed action plan of the Fifth Mission of DIMAPPP was discussed at 11 am on 21 April 2020.  The DG CPTU chaired the meeting. The Senior Procurement Specialist and Task Team Leader of DIMAPPP, Mr. Ishtiak Siddique, and the Senior Procurement Specialist of the World Bank, Mr. Mustafizur Rahman, joined the meeting with all CPTU officials. The Sixth Mission was scheduled for 6 April 2020. But due to the COVID 2019 outbreak, it was deferred and now it would be held online.

9. BGTF Convening Committee Meeting:  A meeting of the Convening Committee  of the Bangladesh Government and Tenderers Forum was held online on 23 April 2020. It was the fifth meeting of the committee. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the situation stemming from the onslaught of COVID 2019 and to seek remedies.

The DG CPTU Mr. Mohammed Shoheler Rahman Chowdhury and the Director (Coordination) of CPTU Mr. Shish Haider Chowdhury joined the meeting with Convener of BGTF  Mr. Sattar Md Abdus in the chair.

The meeting decided that the draft Memorandum of Association  of the BGTF would be reviewed and updated. The BGTF is a bilateral platform for dialogues between PEs and tenderers.

10. Meeting with individual consultants under DIMAPPP: On 26 April 2020, the DG CPTU chaired a meeting with individual consultants working at CPTU under DIMAPPP. Activities of the consultants mainly concerning  IT were discussed in the meeting. The DG CPTU took stock of the IT system. The meeting was informed that all IT activities have been going on although officials and consultants are not physically attending office. Before the leave, the home-based arrangements were made to continue CPTU e-GP system, 24/7 Help Desk and other IT related functions. Officials of CPTU, Principal Project Management Consultant (PPMC) Mr. Md. Mosta Gausul Hoque, PMP and IT related individual consultants of DIMAPPP attended the meeting from 10:30am to 1:00pm. 

11. CPTU, WB, ITCILO hold web meeting: Yet another online meeting was held on 29 April with ITCILO on the WebEx platform. The agenda of the meeting included procurement documents, updating of STDs, recommendations for further modernization of the   public procurement legal framework in Bangladesh,  comparative analysis of Bangladesh PPA and international procurement regime,   procurement handbook, competency framework and certification framework. The DG CPTU chaired the meeting. The CPTU officials, TTL of DIMAPPP, WB officials and consultants, ITCILO team in Dhaka, experts of ITCILO from Lebanon and Turin joined the meeting to discuss the above issues. The meeting continued from 1:30pm up to 4:30pm local time.