About 125 mayors, accountants, and public procurement specialists from dozens of local and central public administrations were trained on the public procurement process, concerning the end-to-end public procurement process—from strategic planning to contract implementation. On Thursday, September 25, the last training took place. The trainings, four in number, were organized by IDIS "Viitorul" in August and September, within the scope of the “Open Governance for Engaged Citizens” project, implemented by IDIS “Viitorul” with the support of the European Open Government Partnership (OGP EU) through the “EU for Integrity” Program under the Eastern Partnership initiative, financed by the European Union (EU).

These trainings are aimed at bolstering institutional capacity and enhancing the competencies of procurement officials and working group members to ensure that procurement processes are transparent, efficient, and fully compliant with legal standards. The curriculum covered fundamental procurement principles, legal requirements at each procedural stage, error and irregularity mitigation, as well as strategies for optimizing resource utilization and raising procurement quality standards.

Trainer Diana Enachi, a seasoned procurement expert at IDIS “Viitorul,” delineated critical aspects including the legal framework governing public procurement, procedural stages, thresholds, applicable modalities, preparation of tender documentation, electronic publication and execution of procurement procedures, contract award mechanisms, dispute resolution, and other pertinent elements.

"The public procurement process is complex and requires a good understanding of the legal framework, but also of the practical stages - from planning to contract execution. Through this training, we offer participants both theoretical knowledge and concrete examples, so that they can apply the rules correctly and contribute to the efficient management of the money available to a public administration," said Diana Enachi.

Participants expressed a desire to deepen their understanding of procurement planning, emphasizing that both local and central authorities face increasing accountability to transparently justify public expenditures.

”In the Republic of Moldova, legislation is frequently updated, and we need to be informed about these changes. Any training is helpful to us, especially since public procurements are numerous, diverse, and each one has specific conditions for implementation. Even if we know some information too well, we need to repeat it, because repetition is the mother of all knowledge," says Valentina Pisarenco, mayor of the village of Cimișeni, Criuleni district.

"The training was a breath of fresh air among the multitude of materials that focus only on the very vast legislative part of the public procurement field. IDIS "Viitorul" experts know how to explain even the most complex concepts using simple and understandable language, while maintaining the attention of the participants. Another strong point of the training was networking; the opportunity to exchange experiences and debate different situations with all the participants created a very productive cooperation environment," said Denis Lungu, chief accountant at the Pererita City Hall in the Briceni district.

"The training gave me a clear picture of all the stages in the public procurement process. I understood better how the procedures should be planned and what responsibilities we have at each step to avoid errors and comply with the law," said Cristina Asaftei, a public procurement specialist at the Hâncești District Council.

"This is not the first time I have participated in the trainings organized by IDIS "Viitorul" and each time I have left with beneficial knowledge, which is of great help to me in my work. The practical exercises applied were very valuable", said Mariana Rusu, mayor of the village of Bolțun in the Nisporeni district.

”Through these trainings, we aimed to strengthen the knowledge and skills of those responsible for public procurement. Our goal is to provide practical tools and relevant examples, which will contribute to increasing transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the use of public funds," said Carolina Ungureanu, deputy director of IDIS "Viitorul".

Previous trainings took place on August 12, August 26, and September 23.

The “Open Governance for Engaged Citizens” initiative is scheduled for implementation from April 2025 to January 2026. It aims to address essential governance challenges by promoting transparency and participatory decision-making at the local level. The project also endeavors to advance open data transparency concerning public procurement activities. Key activities include capacity development workshops for procurement officials, practical training sessions on open governance, and mentorship programs for local authorities.

Moreover, the project will feature public outreach initiatives such as informational sessions with students, dissemination of infographics, and informative materials designed to facilitate citizen access to public information and bolster active civic participation. Ultimately, the initiative supports the European integration path of the Republic of Moldova and strengthens sustainable reforms in open government matter.

This press release has been produced within the "Open governance for engaged citizens" project, implemented by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives "Viitorul" (IDIS), with the support of the Open Government Partnership Europe (OGP EU) through the ”EU for Integrity Programme for the Eastern Partnership, funded by the European Union. The contents of this press release are the sole responsibility of IDIS "Viitorul" and do not necessarily reflect the views of OGP EU or the EU.”