New bidding process creates standards Afghanistan can grow with

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

08.16.2008

Story by Pvt. Tamara Gabbard 

Combined Joint Task Force 101

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By Pvt. Tamara Gabbard
382nd Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – The Kapisa and Parwan provincial reconstruction team, located on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, introduced a new bidding process which has been used as a basis by the U.N.'s Assistance Mission Afghanistan in proposals for Afghan donors and contributors recently.

This new process was created to lessen the appearance of impropriety and to create a group-decision process.

"[The new process] is a participatory decision process using pre-determined criteria for contractor selection," said Lt. Col. William D. Andersen, the Kapisa and Parwan PRT commander.

Contractors are selected based on the prior history of success by the contractor, their geographic location, their capability to successfully complete the project, whether or not they are a minority-owned and operated company, and price.

"The process is transparent, well defined, objective and opened to public scrutiny as it was designed to be," said Anderson. "[The PRT] thinks this strengthens the governor by improving his ability to govern effectively, without allegations or perceptions of corruption."

The process starts with projects that are discussed and forwarded up from direct representatives of local villages.

These representatives make up the community development council, whose duty is to ensure that the villages they represent have a part in the prioritization of reconstruction efforts in the province.

Community development council priorities are aggregated at the next level by district development agencies, which, in turn, inform the provincial development council, which then makes recommendations to the governor on what the province's development priorities are.

A new process is being introduced to all levels involved.

"We hold meetings at the governor's office in each province," Andersen said. "We also hold meetings with the sub-governor and line directors; either at their offices or ask them to join us at the PRT [location]."

Sessions are also held with a selection board, which is made up of provincial engineers, members of the provincial council, appropriate provincial line directors, the district governor where the project will occur and members of the PRT.

"The process is thoroughly explained as well as exercised [in these meetings]," said Andersen. "We had our first real selection session around two weeks ago, which went very well."

There were a few lessons learned from the session, and the PRT made a few minor adjustments to meet the local government's needs as they move forward, added Andersen.

Addressing the needs of the Afghan people through their government is the main goal in this new bidding process and the PRT is trying to work with government officials to focus on three major areas in the reconstruction efforts; schools, clinics and road construction.

"With the supplemental funding congress has provided, I believe the amount of road construction that will take place is truly a transformation thing," Andersen said. "The roads will improve transportation, and stimulate economic opportunity and prosperity. They will make for easier access to market for the farmers, which make up the majority of the population."

Also, creating a by-pass around Kabul will help support a wider scope of trade, he added.

"We will also, ideally, be putting hundreds of [local] people to work building the roads," Andersen said.

With new roads in place, it will create easier access for Afghan national security forces to protect its citizens.

This process and the projects that follow will make a lasting difference for the people in the pursuit of sustainable growth and prosperity, added Andersen. This becomes a strategy in unifying villages and people to each other, and uniting those same villages with their government.

"Many have expressed that both the process and the resulting selection of contractors are a strong mechanism for empowering, and promoting participation and decision making," said Andersen.

This creates transparency and participation between the elected officials, and the people of Afghanistan. It helps place a more vivid face on the Afghanistan nationals and helps the nation become what its people are striving so hard to become – a country undivided, said Anderson.