Costa Rica

Lack of Detailed Procedures for Accreditation and Certification of Procurement Officials

• Issue: The legal framework mandates accreditation of procurement units and certification of procurement officials, but no detailed methodologies or procedures exist. This lack of clarity has led to misconceptions about professionalisation and resistance to implementation.
• Recommendations:
  • The Dirección de Contratación Pública (DCoP) should develop clear procedures, guidelines, and methodologies for accreditation and certification.
  • Define key elements such as certification levels, exam requirements, renewal conditions, and governance of certification processes.
  • Align with best practices from countries like Chile, Croatia, Peru, and Lithuania.

Limited Regulation of the Procurement Professionalisation Market

• Issue: The procurement professionalisation market lacks structured rules for participation, leading to inconsistencies in the quality of training and certification programs.
• Recommendations:
  • Establish guidelines and secondary regulations to ensure quality while maintaining market competition.
  • Engage universities and business associations to align training initiatives with private sector realities.

Public Procurement Not Recognized as a Standalone Profession

• Issue: Procurement is not formally recognized as a profession, which affects career development, professional identity, and talent retention. 
• Recommendations:
  • The Autoridad Presupuestaria (ACP) should lead discussions to officially recognize procurement as a profession.
  • Develop a competency matrix defining professional levels and specialisations.
  • Establish a structured career path with incentives to attract and retain professionals.

• Issue: Procurement training programs are not widely available, and some previously offered programs have been discontinued. 
• Recommendations:
  • Engage universities, private sector institutions, and regional training centers to expand access to professional training.
  • Develop distance learning options to ensure national coverage.

Lack of a Comprehensive Professionalisation Strategy

• Issue: The current professionalisation approach lacks clear governance structures, performance indicators, and monitoring mechanisms.
• Recommendations:
  • Develop a standalone professionalisation strategy with clearly defined objectives, responsibilities, and funding sources.
  • Establish a monitoring and evaluation framework with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Limited Integration of Professionalisation into Human Resources Management

• Issue: There are no formal performance evaluation criteria for procurement officials, which impacts training and promotion decisions.
• Recommendations:
  • Define a performance evaluation system linked to professionalisation efforts.
  • Introduce a merit-based career path with structured performance incentives.

• Issue: There are no dedicated budgetary resources allocated to support professionalisation efforts in procurement, making implementation uncertain. 
• Recommendations:
  • Establish a budget allocation specifically for procurement professionalisation.
  • Consider alternative funding sources, such as charging fees for certain procurement-related services.

Weak Certification and Career Path for Procurement Officials

• Issue: The procurement profession lacks a structured career path and certification system, affecting long-term professional development. 
• Recommendations:
  • Develop a certification framework that includes qualification levels, exam requirements, renewal conditions, and accreditation mechanisms.
  • Define a career progression model with incentives to retain skilled procurement professionals.

• Issue: The legal framework does not allow anonymous reporting of procurement-related misconduct, discouraging whistleblowers from coming forward.
• Recommendations:
  • The Procuraduría de la Ética Pública (PEP) should revise reporting procedures to allow for anonymous complaints.
  • Implement secure reporting channels with strong confidentiality protections.

Lack of Clear Conflict-of-Interest Guidelines

• Issue: There are no detailed regulations on cooling-off periods for procurement officials moving between the public and private sectors.
• Recommendations:
  • Strengthen cooling-off period regulations to prevent conflicts of interest.
  • Develop practical guidance for managing conflicts of interest in procurement.

Limited Public Access to Procurement Information

• Issue: Procurement data is not systematically published, limiting transparency and public oversight.
• Recommendations:
  • Expand open-access procurement data platforms for greater transparency.
  • Increase public disclosure of contract awards and procurement decisions.