Governments across the world have now begun to take a closer look at how they can improve their procurement systems. Here are some important issues they will need to keep in mind. Being transparent about procurement matters has turned out to be the single biggest governance issue in recent years. The greater the degree of openness, the more there is a complementary tendency for the system to be managed properly. This openness refers to what the opportunities are for tendering bids, who the bidders are for individual projects and works contracts, and what the specific rules and regulations are for all players in this market (this need for a level playing field is an important consideration in ensuring that the system is trusted by all parties). This transparency allows the public to hold to account government officials that are entrusted with managing public procurement. One of the more frequently used tools to do so these days is e-procurement... — blogs.adb.org/blog