Despite significant progress made over the past years, the assessment identified several challenges, including:

• Enforcement of regulations by procuring entities is weak, and budget constraints hinder contract allocations.
• Inefficiencies in contracting including fragmented contracts, high direct contracting rates, and disproportionate advertising costs all constitute an obstacle to achieving value for money.
• Weak procurement planning and contract management contribute to payment arrears and poor outcomes.
• Capacity in procuring entities is limited, exacerbated by high turnover rates and inadequate training structures.
• Stakeholder engagement, particularly with the private sector, remains modest, hindering effective participation and dialogue.
• The absence of e-procurement and incomplete information submission affect performance monitoring and is a significant obstacle to improving the system.
• Corruption perception in public procurement remains high, impacting business operations. The relevant institutions lack resources to meet evolving responsibilities.

These challenges, and others, were addressed through a series of recommendations consolidated in a strategic action plan with four overarching objectives:

1. Strengthen the authority and capacity of the lead procurement agency UFSA to effectively carry out its functions. Continue to improve the legal public procurement framework.
2. Adopt a more strategic and value for money approach to procurement and contract management to increase the efficiency in the use of public funds and delivery of public services.
3. Build a critical mass of procurement officials through certification, professionalization, sustained training, and technical support.
4. Improve private sector access to the public procurement market and promote its effective participation.

Each objective has a number of associated initiatives, complete with timeline and responsible institutions, all detailed in the executive summary to the report.