Evaluation Evidence for Public Procurement Policy-making in Uganda

This policy brief discusses findings from a case study conducted to illustrate how evidence from an evaluation informed decision- and policymaking of a major
reform, the amendment of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act in Uganda. The evaluation was managed by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of implementation of public procurement. This evaluation sought to address important knowledge gaps in the implementation of the procurement act before it was gazetted. The evaluation findings specifically informed the following provisions in the procurement act:

• Revisions of procurement thresholds for different bidding methods and implementing a system to address these;

• Flexibility for sectors that need specialised procurement roads, electricity and health

• Approval of the solicitor general (SG) was required for all procurement above USh 50 million and this was revised to above USh 200 million; and

• The evaluation has continued to inform how evaluations are conducted in different government MDAs including PPDA.