| Year of assessment | 2019 |
| Date of publication | 2019 |
| Country procurement volume | 92.6 billion USD (2019) |
| Principal organisation | Organismo Supervisor de las Contrataciones del Estado (OSCE) |
| Main partners | Ministry of Economy and Finance, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). |
Peru
Recognizing the central role that public procurement plays in public service delivery, financial management, and sustainable development, this MAPS PROF assessment resulted in recommendations targeting the professionalization of the procurement workforce, the development of clear career paths, the improvement of training programs, and the alignment of procurement skills with national and international best practices.
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Quick facts
Background
Why was a MAPS assessment initiated?
To evaluate the status of professionalization in the public procurement system of Peru, ensuring that procurement officers have the necessary skills and training to effectively manage public contracts.
Who initiated the assessment?
OSCE, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Brief description of the country procurement system
- Peru has a centralized regulatory framework but decentralized operational procurement functions. The professionalization of procurement officials is recognized but lacks full implementation.
- The certification of procurement professionals exists but needs stronger alignment with international best practices.
Other relevant factors:
- Public procurement represents 11.6% of GDP and is a key tool for achieving national development goals.
- The Peruvian government has introduced reforms in recent years to modernize procurement practices and strengthen procurement capacity.
Main results and impact
Issue: Lack of clarity in defining professionalization as a strategic objective
- Professionalization is mentioned in policy documents but lacks a clear strategic mandate at a high regulatory level.
Recommendations:
- Introduce a legal instrument explicitly defining professionalization in procurement as a national strategic priority.
- Strengthen coordination between OSCE and SERVIR (civil service authority) to avoid duplication of efforts in training and certification.
- Clearly define the criteria and mechanisms for private sector and academic institutions to participate in procurement training.
- Develop a formal implementation regulation detailing professionalization policies, training strategies, and evaluation mechanisms.
Issue: Inconsistent application of professionalization policies and weak coordination between agencies
- The professionalization framework exists but is not uniformly applied across institutions.
- There is limited coordination between agencies responsible for procurement training.
Recommendations:
- Establish a structured career path for procurement professionals, including clear promotion criteria and competency-based training.
- Develop a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system to assess the impact of training programs on procurement performance.
- Strengthen financial and institutional support for procurement training programs.
- Ensure procurement competency frameworks align with international standards.
Issue: Limited budget allocation and inconsistent implementation of training programs
- Only 23.6% of the allocated professionalization budget was spent in 2018.
- Not all public entities participate in training programs, leading to uneven procurement capacity.
Recommendations:
- Improve budget planning to ensure consistent funding for training programs.
- Mandate that all procurement staff undergo regular training and certification as a requirement for career advancement.
- Expand training programs to cover specialized procurement topics and new market trends.
- Ensure training programs integrate both theoretical and practical procurement skills.
Issue: Weak enforcement of ethics and integrity measures in procurement training
- Ethical considerations are included in training programs, but there is no mechanism to systematically enforce integrity standards.
Recommendations:
- Introduce mandatory ethics and integrity training for procurement officials.
- Develop mechanisms to monitor and prevent unethical behavior, including stronger oversight by OSCE.
- Expand public access to procurement performance data to improve transparency and accountability.