Planning of Public Procurements in Macedonia: Between the Needs and the Reality - State-of-affairs, problems that need to be addressed, and proposals for improvement.

State-of-Affairs, Problems and Future Challenges in Implementation of Tender Procedures in Macedonia

Proposals on improving legal and institutional framework and practices in implementation of public procurements in Macedonia

CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES, 10th Jubilee Publication of the CCC

Center for Civil Communications entered the second decade of operation. Instead of publication that summarizes previous performance record, multitude of projects implemented and research analyses conducted, publications issued and changes encouraged and triggered with our committed work on greater transparency, accountability and responsibility on the part of state authorities, CCC’s team decided to celebrate this milestone differently. Namely, we asked several connoisseurs of affairs in each of our areas of operation, as distinguished and profiled experts, to make precise dissection of state-of-affairs from within, i.e. to present matters at this point in time in 2016. Areas covered by their analyses include: civil society, transparency, anticorruption, public spending and investigative journalism. Insights and analysis in said areas should serve us as ‘benchmarks’ or ‘baseline’ for further efforts and development in the years to come.

In parallel with new challenges, the Center for Civil Communications will remain committed to building upon what has been achieved thus far: hundreds of measures were recommended with a view to improve situations in respective areas of operation; seventy research analyses were conducted and published; two hundred training sessions were organized and delivered for several thousand representatives of media, non-governmental organizations and public institutions; hundred publications were printed (research analyses, recommendations, policy briefs, manuals, etc.), etc. Throughout our years of operation, we directly monitored more than three thousand tender procedures; surveyed more than two thousand companies, thousands of citizens, civil society organizations and journalists; provided direct assistance to around six hundred microenterprises to improve their operation; closely cooperated with around fifty municipalities and hundred different institutions; partnered for project implementation with fifteen non-governmental organizations from the country and abroad. Hundreds of recommendations and results from our research analyses have been integrated in relevant legislative changes, recommendations and observations made by other domestic and international organizations, and triggered series of changes and improvements in practice.

CCC’s method and areas of operation (good governance, anticorruption, economic development and media) remain the same. Special focus will be put on collection, processing and making publicly available database comprised of information that are relevant for day-to-day life and work of citizens. By doing that, we want to contribute to global trends on opening data for the public, which is deemed necessary for greater transparency and democratic control of public authorities, essential and meaningful participation of citizens in policy- and decision-making, promotion of private and entrepreneurship initiatives and innovation, improved public services, etc.

Authors of individual texts accommodated in this publication deserve our sincere gratitude for their contribution; and all of you have our greatest appreciation for the support, cooperation and inspiration.