Civic Engagement - Community-led Procurement

Today we look further at Community Led Procurement (CLP) which enables local communities to actively control the allocation of local government or donor funds for the purchase of goods or services.

Who?

CLP can be initiated by any procurement budget holder, including governments, public/private partnerships and civil society or donor organisations.

The process is thought to enable better public understanding of procurement systems as well as building partnerships between all parties involved.

It has also been shown to increase accountability and transparency in the procurement process, reduce corruption and wastage, ensure better quality or value for money, and increase the use of local contractors.

How?

Commonly, CLP involves three broad stages: 

• Preparation and initiation: The preparatory stage includes clarification of scope and initial consultation with the community, leading to the establishment of a community procurement committee.

• Building capacity and structures: Capacity building follows, and involves an assessment of current knowledge, organisation of training and technical assistance, and the establishment of structures potentially including the transfer of funds from the government or donor source to the community.

• Procurement of goods and services: The procurement phase focuses on the provision of support to the procurement committee for the development of procurement guidelines, policies and mechanisms, including monitoring and evaluation processes. 

CLP in Action

The Community-led Infrastructure Finance Facility (CLIFF) in Mumbai, India, stemmed from a four-year DFID (UK Department for International Development) funded research project exploring the possibility for communities to carry out their own habitat developments in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

CLIFF provides venture capital and other financial products directly to organisations of the urban poor, supporting community-led slum upgrading schemes conceived in partnership with city authorities.

The full report can be found here: http://www.developmentfunds.org/pubs/CLIFF%202.pdf

To find out more about the Trust’s Civic Activism Awards Programme click here.