The IT sector is the backbone of the modern world. It supports business development, enhances government efficiency, and enables people to access high-quality services. However, when it comes to procuring IT products in the public sector, numerous challenges emerge: non-transparent processes, complex technical requirements that often hinder fair competition, and a lack of expertise among those conducting the procurements.
At the request of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the CEP KSE team and Transparency International Ukraine examined how IT procurement is currently carried out, what obstacles exist for the state and businesses, and which approaches are used in European countries to make these processes more efficient. We analyzed international best practices and surveyed both procuring entities and bidders. This allowed us to identify the main problems and propose recommendations for solving them.
Key Recommendations Include:
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Standardizing procurement through unified requirements for typical IT products
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Centralizing procurement to improve management and reduce costs
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Amending legislation to simplify tender procedures
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Enhancing the expertise of procuring entities through specialized training
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Improving the Prozorro system by expanding its functionality and automating processes
The main conclusion of our research: Ukraine does not need parallel systems for public procurement. Prozorro already operates effectively, and rather than creating something from scratch, efforts should focus on enhancing it. Transparent, standardized, and efficient procurement is not just about saving public funds. It’s a way to improve government services and make Ukraine stronger in the digital world.
This research was made possible by generous support of the the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The content of this note is the sole responsibility of Transparency International Ukraine and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
This study has been funded by UK International Development from the UK Government. However, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government’s official policies.
