As the World Bank undertakes the most significant overhaul of its procurement policy in decades, the Washington, D.C.-based institution has reignited a debate over how far it should go in relying on client countries’ own procurement systems for bank-financed projects.
In the works for over a year, a basic outline of the reform plans, was approved by the finance institution’s board last month. Implementation is set for 2015, and further elaboration of the policies — as well as additional consultation with industry groups and NGOs — are slated for next year.