When it came time for Africa’s leading public health agency to choose an event planner for its flagship conference, a Zambian company won the bid for $618,638.
But they were ultimately paid nearly $2.4 million.
The invitation for bids for the job had only been sent to four companies — when it should have been open to the public. People not qualified in procurement evaluated the company proposals — and didn’t follow the rules. The contracted company breached the contract.
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About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
