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Brief information about joint procurement in 2003

Joint procurement (hereinafter SOVO) shall mean procurement of several contracting authorities in awarding contracts for agreed subjects of procurement, which are the same. The purpose of SOVO is to simplify providing of particular needs and acquiring financial savings, especially on the basis of bulk discounts. The aim of SOVO is more effective and economical expending of public funds, achieving best value for money, overhead costs savings, increasing of transparency, simplification of control and economic evaluation of procurement.

Four projects of SOVO were realised in 2003. An institution „Správa zariadení Úradu vlády SR“ continued in the project for procurement of xerographic paper. 23 contracting authorities participated, they procured paper in total value of 11 mil. SKK. Another project realised through „Správa zariadení Úradu vlády SR“ was procurement of motor vehicles in total value of 19,5 mil. SKK and 16 contracting authorities participated. Ministry of Interior realised projects for procurement of motor vehicles in total value of 79 mil. SKK for 18 contracting authorities and project for procurement of tires, tire-tubes and protective plies in total value of 8,2 mil. SKK for 16 contracting authorities.

We could state these advantages of SOVO, also on the basis of backgrounds from contracting authorities concerned,:

• acquiring economic savings in the form of economically most advantageous tenders or in the form of costs cutting for the procurement process within contracting authorities,
• minimal administration of procurement and contractual relationships,
• expedience in term of organizational assurance of goods procurement process,
• voluntariness of participation,
• joint elaboration of requirements and technical specifications, as well as joint preparation of contract documents,
• agreed prices (values) for longer time period,
• financial saving compared to contracts awarded in previous periods,
• operative good delivery.

Inadequacies in SOVO realisation:

• insufficient planning of procurement,
• framework contracts concluded for long time period which are mainly unprofitable by following the evolution in market environment changes,
• procurement of equal sort of goods by several contracting authorities,
• procurement of small number of goods.

Publicity of SOVO in the media

Office for Public Procurement publishes on its web side all available information about SOVO in order to improve informedness. In section about SOVO there is published joint procurement conception, experiences with SOVO, SOVO projects and reports about joint procurement realized.

Also other web sites of sponsored contracting authorities shall have an active role – through publishing information about projects SOVO prepared as well as on-going. These web sites shall have to contain as much as possible information concerning these projects, whereby on one side transparency of the whole procurement process will increase, on the other side these information serve as footing for the rest of contracting authorities who are planning to realize, eventually participate, SOVO in the future.

Some ideas for the future of SOVO

• professionalization of the group of contracting authorities is important in term of knowing the legislation in this field and in term of knowing market conditions, its development, trends, communication with consumers, in term of knowing the best practices and techniques which could bring effects under management with public funds,
• extension of range of goods and services procured within SOVO,
• after approval of the new European Parliament and Council Directive coordinating procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts, public services contracts, member states were allowed to establish central contracting authorities.