The goal of public procurement is to award timely and cost-effective contracts to qualified contractors, suppliers and service providers for the provision of goods, works and services to support national and local government, and public services operations, in accordance with principles and procedures established in the public procurement rules.
The goal of contract administration is to ensure proper mechanisms are in place to monitor and evaluate contractors, suppliers and service providers’ performance in the fulfillment of their contractual obligations, and to ensure appropriate actions are taken to promptly remedy any deficiencies observed in contract execution or the contract scope, and terms and conditions.
On the basis of their specific goals, there is a clear distinction between public procurement and contract administration. That distinction, far from lessening the importance of one as opposed to the other, actually reinforces each by identifying and focusing on their specific purpose.
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