The GPPA is managed, on a daily basis, by a Director General (DG) who reports to the GPPA Board of Directors (BoD), and to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA). The GPPA daily activities are managed by the GPPA DG and supported by a management team reporting to the DG. The management team function is structured for the effective execution of their support to the POs.

1.Specialized Procurement Unit

The procurement unit of GGPA is an established setup within a procuring entity created to carry out all procurement/purchasing activities of a PO in accordance as enshrined with national procurement laws. The Procurement Unit has responsibility and accountability for planning and managing procurement and purchases for the organization in an efficient and cost-effective way, working closely with Internal Audit.

  1. 2. Internal Audit Unit-

The role of the GPPA Internal Audit department is to determine whether the risk management, internal controls, and governance processes, as designed and operated by management are adequate and functioning.

3.Technical Areas

  1. Procurement Policy & Operations Department – The PPO department is in charge of establishing a policy direction to the POs through regulations and develops best practice procurement policies and strategies to ensure that government procurement achieves transparency, accountability and value for money.
    1. Compliance & Procurement Practices Department– The objective of the CPP department is to develop effective monitoring & evaluation systems and programs for auditing all public sector institutions on procurement issues and to set benchmarks for performance measurement.
  1. Career development and Training Department– The objective of the CDT department is to develop and provide training to the procurement cadre, across the public sector, to continuously upgrade their knowledge and skills. The Gambia Public Procurement Institute (GPPI) is also part of the GPPA and shares the same premises. The GPPI delivers training to both public administration officials and to outside individuals who are seeking certification in public procurement. The GPPI curricula includes a series of course modules, each 6 months, targeting 3 levels of trainees (beginner, intermediate, and advance).

4.Corporate Services.

  1. Corporate Services are defined as organization-wide functions that deliver business support services, based on specialized knowledge, best practice and technology to serve internal customers in the delivery of departmental objectives. Corporate services department will compile the following functions:
  2. ICT & Business Processing – provides both internal and external procurement IT support applications and platforms to manage procurement efficiently and effectively.
  3. Finance – provides accurate financial information, mitigating risks, enhancing transparency, and identifying financial opportunities where possible within the Institution.
  4. Administration & HR- provides overall policy direction on human resource management issues and administrative support functions related to the management of employees for all GPPA’s departments. The Administration & HR department enables the GPPA to plan, organize and apply prescribed rules and regulations that serve as policy guidelines to effectively manage the organizations resources.
  5. Legal- provides legal advice to the institution on all matters pertaining to the discharge of its functions under the Public Procurement Act, 2004.
  6. PR- supervises and assesses public attitudes and maintains mutual relationships/ understanding between the Authority and the public. It improves channels of communication and institutes new ways of setting up a two-way flow of information and understanding on public procurement related matters.

The administration and HR Department enables management to provide the necessary equipment and system for employees to perform their duties and create conducive atmosphere for all to communicate and work with diligence and professionalism.

 KEY FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Facilitates the timely generation of mails.
  • Ensures the effective management of incoming and outgoing mails.
  • Provides an affective filing system, record keeping and tracking.
  • Keeps track of timely distribution of office items and provisions.
  • Facilitates the maintenance of the office, cleanliness, and hygiene.
  • Takes care of correspondences.
  • Looks after staff security, drivers and welfare and makes reports.
  • Assists in disciplinary actions; and serves as a custodian of the human resources manual and policies
  • Facilitates GPPA’S Medical insurance Scheme.
  • Oversees the hiring and recruitment in the organization.
  • Oversees training and development for existing and new employees.
  • Oversees employee benefits and compensation.
  • Maintains the relationship between employees and management by promoting communication within the organization.
  • Handles disputes between employees within the organization.

The finance department has the overall responsibility for the provision and management of the Authority’s financial and accounting systems, providing advice and guidance on matters relating to income, expenditure, and efficient collection of revenue.

CORE FUNCTIONS

  • The core functions of the authority’s department include.
  • Oversees the financial administration, control and safeguarding of the Authority’s assets.
  • Controls all revenues and expenditure
  • Prepares budget, financial statements and reports to the management and Board of Directors.
  • Supports management in planning, controlling, and monitoring the financial activities and to provide practical assistance in achieving the Authority’s strategic plan.

OBJECTIVE

  • To provide accurate financial information, mitigating risks, enhancing transparency, and identifying financial opportunities where possible.
  • To ensure that accounts are properly managed, and report as expected by the Management.
  • to develop financial management systems consistent with relevant laws to support the day to day operation.

MISSION

The Mission of the CPP department is to develop effective monitoring & evaluation systems and program for auditing all public sector institutions on procurement issues and to set benchmarks for performance measurement.

Core Functions and Responsibilities

  • Verifies adherence to procurement law regulations, policies, standards, and prescribed processes and act accordingly for any of the following:
    • Ex-ante reviews; and
    • Ex-Post reviews.
  • Determines whether the various POs’ Procurement Procedures and management are carried out in a matter to guarantee value for money, (effectiveness), efficient and transparent use of public funds.
  • Develops and implements ex-post annual plans.
  • Establishes a quality assurance program for the operations and ex-ante/ex-post activities.
  • Represents the Authority at the FPAC/PEC of the national assembly to report on compliance status of POs.
  • Define programme that will improve procurement planning and implementation in government departments and public enterprises (MDAs).
  • Preparing annual reports to the ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs and other select committees of the national assembly.
  • Enforcing ethical Code of Conduct.
  • Conducting impact assessment of the effect of the public procurement reforms.
  • Design and disseminate information in procurement law and regulatory issues through publications, periodicals and or holding forums to discuss the importance of procurement compliance and practice.

The Policy and procurement Operations department is one of the technical arms of the Gambia Public Procurement Authority.

MISSION

The main objective of the Policy and Procurement Operations department is to develop best practice procurement policies and strategies ensure that government procurement achieves transparency, accountability, and value for money.

Core functions:

  • Leads discussions to introduce various procurement policies to support its work.
  • Leads the preparation of proposals affecting public procurement, private public partnership agreements and grants’ legislation.
  • Develops efficient strategies for disseminating the policies across all MDAs and MMDAs.
  • Ensures that government policies including private sector initiatives, public sector reforms, and anti – corruption measures extend to public procurement.
  • Works with other Directorates to review annual reports submitted by all Procurement Entities and organizing annual procurement forums.
  • Develops the relevant laws, policies, and strategies in procurement in the public sector and
  • Prepares annual reports, in coordination with Compliance department, for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs/PAC/PEC on GPPA activities

The Information Communication Technology is a cross-cutting department which seeks to address the connectivity and harnessing of the emerging technologies to enhance technical IT capacity. Moreover, modernizing the infrastructure and services that support the activities of the institution.

MISSION

Its Objective is to enable the institution’s employees to communicate, collaborate and automate routine tasks, and generally provide teams with the functionality they need to perform their duties.

Core functions:

The functions of ICT & Business Processing department are:

  • Enables the company’s employees to communicate, collaborate and automate routine tasks, and generally provide teams with the functionality they need to perform their duties.
  • Defines ICT Policy & Strategy development and implementation.
  • Provides/identifies for hardware & software.
  • Maintains server functions for email, internet, databases, file storage and administration.
  • Manages data management services.
  • Provides technical support services.
  • Supervises website design and development; and
  • Supports business process registration.

Mission

The Career Development & Training department provides leadership and direction for professionalization of procurement in the public sector, and sets up professional standards, agrees on performance indicators, ethics and competencies needed in the public sector.

Core functions:

  • Plans and draws up strategy for capacity building, to support and strengthen the public procurement system
  • Assesses training needs required for the public procurement system and delivering programs to deal with shortcomings
  • Establishes standards and performance criteria required at each level of operation.
  • Identifies institutions that would provide formal programs for academic qualifications to meet professional standards required at all levels of operation.
  • Designs and implements procurement training programs suitable for other professionals associated with the procurement function.
  • Liaises with Office of Head of the Civil Service and other relevant public institutions for career structure in the public service for procurement professionals.
  • Ensures that all procuring agencies’ procurement officers, Contract Committee Members are trained in procurement

The procurement unit of GPPA is an established setup within a procuring entity created to carry out all procurement/purchasing activities of a procuring organization in accordance as enshrined with national procurement laws.

MISSION

The Procurement Unit has responsibility and accountability for planning and managing procurement and purchases for the organization in an efficient and cost-effective way, working closely with Internal Audit.

Core functions And Responsibilities

Core functions of the procurement unit are:

  • Ensures procurement planning and implementation:
    • Solicit quotation from prospective suppliers.
    • Preparation of the bidding document.
    • Issuance of purchase order.
    • Analyze or evaluation of bids and quotations.
    • Contract negotiation.
    • Recommend award of contract.
    • Contract management.
    • Verify and receive all procured items.
    • Preparations and review of contract documents; and
    • Receive of invoice for payment of bills.
  • Ensures efficient management of contracts and supplier database.
  • Anticipates Authority’s needs and requirements by keeping abreast of trends and development in both the public and private sectors.
  • Develops annual procurement plan; and
  • Carries out the Authority’s procurement processes on good, work and services beside ensuring that the necessary documentations are in place.

 Core functions

The public relations department supervises and assesses public attitudes and maintains mutual business relationships/ understanding between the Authority and the public. It improves channels of communication and to institute new ways of setting up a two-way flow of information and understanding on public procurement related matters.

  • Handles publicity.
  • Issues news of activities to external audiences.
  • Establishes and maintains contacts with the mass media.
  • Coordinates media conferences.
  • Prepares communication and visibility plans.
  • Prepares and disseminates communication and visibility materials.
  • Compiles information from other departments to publish to the public; and

Serves as the median between the Authority and the pub