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ABSTRACT. This paper introduces and examines the implementation of the World Bank's electronic procurement initiative for the selection of consultants, which is expected to foster consistency of practice worldwide, increase transparency and competition, and minimize processing time and effort. Following the description of functionalities and benefits of the system, this paper discusses the challenges encountered and lessons learned during the implementation process in terms of critical success factors (CSF).
INTRODUCTION
The World Bank Group (World Bank) is transforming its former, highly manual process of selecting consulting services into a robust eProcurement solution as part of its procurement simplification and modernization agenda. The World Bank engages consultants and service providers for technical or managerial advisory services in all sectors from socioeconomic and environmental projects to reforms of state and financial sectors, privatization, information technology and infrastructure. To that end, the World Bank needs to manage the selection of providers and the resulting contracts with thousands of businesses throughout the world. To ease this process and improve efficiency, the World Bank has implemented a new electronic procurement solution for the selection of consultants, with the goals of fostering consistency of practice worldwide, increasing transparency and competition, and minimizing processing time and effort.
Electronic Procurement (e-Procurement) in this paper is conceptualized as a subset of e-Commerce. While e-Commerce is simply a transaction conducted electronically, e-procurement is the automation of many procurement processes via electronic systems, especially the Internet. The World Bank definition of e-Procurement is broad in that it accommodates the use of information & communication technology (especially the Internet) by governments in conducting their procurement relationships with suppliers for the acquisition of goods, works, and consultancy services required by the public sector" (World Bank, 2003). However, the focus of this paper will be on the acquisition of consultancy services rather than the acquisition of goods and works.
This paper will explore the relevant issues surrounding the implementation of an e-Procurement solution for the selection of consultants. Following the overview and background of selection of consultants, the paper will present a case study (project) and discuss the system functionalities and benefits of the solution. Using critical success factors as identified by Vaidya, Sajeev, and Callender (2004), the authors will explain the challenges encountered by the World Bank...