Contractor and Consultant Performance Evaluation Programme Launched

The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) has launched a Contractor and Consultant Performance Evaluation Programme (CPEP) that will regularise and standardise the assessment of the performance of individuals and entities who work on public-sector procurements and projects.

Under the programme, procuring entities – ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) – will be the assessors and scorers for the contractors and consultants whom they hire.

The PPC will be the regulator and implementer of the CPEP, which takes effect on December 1.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, who delivered the keynote address during Wednesday’s (November 15) launch at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston, said contracts valued more than $10 million will be subject to a performance evaluation.

“That will be a part of the permanent record that can influence the award of contracts in the future. My expectation is that that will motivate behaviour change,” he said.

Dr. Clarke explained that the CPEP will establish a uniform set of criteria for the rating of contractors’ and consultants’ performance and develop a corresponding centralised database.

“This will allow us to collect information because the same supplier that works for CHASE (Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education Fund) sometimes works for NHT (National Housing Trust) or sometimes work for [Jamaica] Customs [Agency]; and what we have are unknowingly bad performers continuing to be awarded to the detriment of the taxpayer,” he explained.

The Minister shared that the Annual Excellence Performance certificate will be awarded to contractors and consultants who achieve a consolidated performance record of 85 per cent and more.

Noting that the CPEP is game-changing, Dr. Clarke said Jamaica is moving closer towards a rules-based society where “it is more difficult to advance on favouritism or nepotism”.

PPC Executive Director, Dr. Sandra O’Meally, said the Commission is committed to ensuring that public funds expenditure is done prudently.

“We want to ensure value for money. We have to make sure that our systems are fair, our systems are transparent. We can also hold persons accountable in whatever they do and ensure that they understand the gamut of the responsibility they undertake, especially when they are dealing with public procurement,” she stated.

Dr. O’Meally added that the PPC looks forward to working with MDAs in implementing the CPE as the Commission continues to provide stakeholders with “quality service that is not just seen as being fair but is actually fair and is actually transparent”.

The Government of Jamaica Contractor and Consultant Performance Evaluation (CPE) Policy was developed by the Office of the Public Procurement Policy (OPPP) and the PPC and was approved by Cabinet in February 2023.