Accountability is the obligation to be able to explain or account for the way duties have been performed. The government should have appropriate mechanisms in place to show that they are accountable for their practices and the decisions that are made.
One of the key ways of facilitating accountability is to document and communicate to all stakeholders within government, prior to the commencement of the competitive bid process, the roles and responsibilities of all relevant parties, including the project steering committee, the evaluation committee, the project director, government project team and advisors. Where these parties are a committee or group, it is important that its membership and terms of reference are clearly defined and communicated.
In particular, responsibility for the following key tasks should be identified and documented:
• Authorising the documents which set the framework for the competitive bid process, e.g. information memorandum, expressions of interest, requests for tender
• Analysing bids, preparing recommendations and making decisions on the selection of shortlisted proponents and the preferred proponent
• Communicating with bidding parties;
• Consultation with ministers and other parts of government who are not directly involved in the management of the competitive bid process but have an interest in its conduct and outcomes
• Resolving probity and process questions as they arise.
Another mechanism to facilitate accountability is for the government to keep comprehensive records throughout the process of meetings with proponents,
decisions made and explanations for any departures from established procedures. Maintaining detailed records can assist to establish that the process followed was legitimate if any questions or complaints are raised. These records should provide sufficient information to enable any audit and independent reviews to be carried out.