The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARMP) organized, from August 27 to 28, 2025 in Brazzaville, the workshop for validating the indicator matrix for evaluating the public procurement system in the Republic of Congo according to the MAPS methodology.
The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARMP) organized, from August 27 to 28, 2025 in Brazzaville, the workshop for validating the indicator matrix for evaluating the public procurement system in the Republic of Congo according to the MAPS methodology. Organized with the support of the World Bank, through the Program "Accelerate Institutional Governance and Reforms for Sustainable Service Functioning" PAGIR, within the framework of activities financed by its results-based component (PforR), this workshop aimed to validate, in a participatory and consensual manner, the indicator matrix of the MAPS evaluation in the Republic of Congo.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Mr. Antoine NGAKOSSO, economic and prospective advisor to the Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Planning and Major Works who had at his side Mr. Ludovic NGOUALA, President of the ARMP Regulatory Council, Mr. Nicolas OKANDZI, Permanent Secretary for Public Finance Reforms and Mr. Thomas BANDIA, Coordinator of the PAGIR coordination unit. This ceremony took place in the presence of representatives of ministries, national institutions, the private sector, civil society and technical and financial partners. For two days, the work essentially focused on the presentation of the matrix, exchanges, debates and responses to participants' concerns by international consultant Pierre MORIN and Mr. Davy Wolfgang OPOKO, acting director general of ARMP.
Placed under the aegis of the Steering Committee for the public procurement system evaluation project, whose presidency is ensured by the representative of the Prime Minister Head of Government and the vice-presidency by the representative of the Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Planning and Major Works, the workshop for validating the indicator matrix for evaluating the procurement system in the Republic of Congo according to the MAPS methodology aimed, among other objectives, to enable participants to examine and discuss the results of the MAPS evaluation by pillar; to collect comments and observations from stakeholders and integrate their contributions in order to achieve a consolidated and validated version of the indicator matrix to strengthen national ownership of the MAPS evaluation process.
A hundred participants consisting of key actors in the procurement system, experts and professional executives from ARMP, the General Directorate of Public Procurement Control (DGCMP), the General Delegation for Major Works (DGGT), representatives of sectoral ministries, the private sector, civil society and partner institutions examined the indicator matrix proposed by national experts under the oversight of the international consultant and formulated observations to ensure their relevance to national realities, while remaining aligned with international standards.
During his intervention, Mr. Davy Wolfgang OPOKO, acting director general of ARMP, in his capacity as National Coordinator of the MAPS evaluation presented the workshop objectives and recalled that this evaluation began with the commitment of the Government of the Republic of Congo, in partnership with the World Bank, with a view to modernizing and ensuring transparency in public procurement. Emphasizing that since January 2025, several activities including training and workshops have been organized to familiarize stakeholders with the MAPS methodology and strengthen national capacities. These included training national experts on MAPS evaluation techniques, developing and validating the concept note (concept note which was approved in April 2025 by the international MAPS Secretariat), training national experts divided into evaluator teams on using the indicator matrix, collecting and processing public procurement data, followed by work on completing the MAPS indicator matrix by evaluator teams assisted by international consultant Pierre MORIN, lead evaluator, and his assistant Stanys BUJAKERA.
At the end of the work, Mr. Pierre Morin, consultant in charge of technical support for the MAPS evaluation process, spoke in an atmosphere filled with emotion. He recalled the difficult and demanding path that led to the production and validation of the indicator matrix. Recognizing the efforts made by all stakeholders, he expressed his sincere thanks to national institutions, technical and financial partners, as well as participants for their commitment and contributions. He called for continuing the momentum generated to consolidate the achievements.
Officially closing the work of this workshop, Mr. Davy Wolfgang OPOKO, in turn, expressed strong emotion at the completion of an arduous but fruitful process. He emphasized the pride of having achieved the set objective, namely the consensual validation of the indicator matrix for evaluating the public procurement system. He thanked the World Bank, PAGIR through the Permanent Secretariat for Public Finance Reforms (SPRFP) and the project coordination unit. He thanked the technical secretariat of the MAPS evaluation, all his collaborators and workshop participants while expressing his conviction that this result constitutes a decisive step in strengthening transparency and performance of the public procurement system in the Republic of Congo.
The official validation of this strategic document reaffirms stakeholders' commitment to transparency, efficiency and accountability in public procurement management. The recommendations issued converge toward a common objective, namely: to increase the efficiency, transparency and credibility of the public procurement system, while ensuring better use of public resources.
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