Raising Health Standards to Combat Malaria
Challenge
A major IFI prepared to launch a new strategy to combat malaria and, recognizing the vital role of effective procurement practices, needed a thorough review of past practices to inform the development of more efficient, transparent, and client-responsive procedures and tools.
Client Contribution to the SDGs
Approach
- Knowing all too well the common bottlenecks in donor-funded procurement in emerging markets, DFI reviewed and analyzed the Donor’s procurement experience over five years for malaria-related commodities, including bed nets, ITNs, LLINs, insecticides for bed net re-treatment, vector control through IRS, and anti-malarial drugs.
- DFI worked with the IFI Client to establish assessment criteria, catalogued tenders to be evaluated, and conducted detailed market assessments via research and interviews
- Specialists also identified common problems in the Client’s procurement processes and presented a commodity-specific analysis to highlight the unique challenges of procuring certain commodities in the malaria sub-sector, including degree of competition and quality of purchases.
- At the headquarters level, DFI acted as an impartial reviewer, ensuring a fair assessment of the Client’s role in the selected procurements
Partners
- IFI headquarters (Central Procurement Office)
- IFI Country Representative Offices
- In-country project units within involved Borrower Ministries in Burundi, Cambodia, Laos, Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal, Vietnam, and India
Outcomes
- DFI provided recommendations ranging from policy-level changes to practical tips for in-country project procurement units and IFI Client project officers; five of seven recommendations were included in Client’s new malaria strategy
- Established an evidence base and benchmark for continued improvements to Client’s procurement practices
- Increased efficiency and transparency in Client-funded procurement
- Created a practical handbook to guide project staff and stakeholders step-by-step through procurement procedures for malaria-specific commodities