Evaluating the Role of and Use of Transparency in Public Procurement Processes - Literature review Example

In a nonprofessional language, transparency alludes to the kind of operations that are open to every person and where others can easily see what one is doing. For instance, when one goes to a shop and carries out a transaction, the exchange of the good/service with currency is done in a very transparent manner where both the buyer and the seller are entitled to confirm by counting the amount received as change or as the pay for the products bought. The verification through counting and confirmation that the right currency is in use would illustrate transparency in the simplest way.

A close analysis of transparency shows that it is a universally applied concept in such fields as management, corporate, research, technology, sports, politics, and media among other fields. In management and corporate circles, transparency may imply the openness in disclosure of information concerning revenues, wages, and administration while in research; it may allude to ease of access to and sharing of information. It has almost a common meaning to all other disciplines with ease of accessing and sharing information in a manner that is not hidden from any person.

It is a concept that dates far back in history where it has been mostly applied in morality and ethics to allude to openness as against secrecy. However, the application would reveal some minor differences in application from one field to another. Accountability is often used concurrently with transparency whereas the latter is used in transactions for the purpose of accountability1. It is actually seen as a precondition to ensuring that public officials uphold high standards of accountability, especially in matters of public procurement, tendering, and awarding of contracts.

In order to effectively participate in the public procurement process, the public requires to have access to the most available and necessary information possible. Transparency in this regard, therefore, ensures that the public gets the information and hence is in a position to contribute to the procedures of decision-making. In this regard, the discipline of public procurement is greatly dependent on accountability and as such relies much on transparency. In such a case as the public procurement, the authorities involved have a responsibility of ensuring that transactions carried out are done in the most open manner possible and that the information engaged is available to the scrutiny of the public and the government.

Transparency confers power to the third party just as to the parties involved to raise a concern and question the procedures followed in transacting public deals. Transparency, therefore, entails availing the public procurement information and the mechanisms followed in according tenders to particular bidders to the public for possible scrutiny. This, therefore, ensures accountability of public resources while undertaking such transactions that involve the public as against private resources2. Literature review In a study to evaluate these aspects the republic of Serbia was put into perspective within the context of the global economic crisis by Rikalovic, Knecevic as well as Mikic.