“Everyone can access”

Contents

• Mer-link’s context• The route of decision-

making• What is Mer-link?• Lessons Learned

Prioritized Projects

Digital Government in Costa Rica2009-2010

Digital Government in Costa Rica

The actual digitization ofgovernment

procurement was the most challenging project.

But it was also the most attractive, since it

creates efficiencies for the institutions, mechanisms to

provide access to many companies of all

sizes and in the digitization of State

The route of decision-making

• Joint investigation by the Technical Secretariat for Digital Government and the Department of Digital Government INCAE

• 2008: Rapid diagnosis of the status of electronic procurement in the country (3)

• 2009: Depth review and key findings(4)

(3) E-Procurement in Costa Rica. Barahona et. al. San José Costa Rica, 2008(4) Research Challenges for the adoption, implementation and appropriation of an electronic procurement

system in Costa Rica. Barahona et. al. San José Costa Rica, 2009

Diagnosis of the Situation of the Country

“Fragmented“ model 

Model based on paper.

An ineffective use of time.

Lack of standardization (Single product catalog and vendors)

Results: Diagnosis of the Situation of the Country

Experiencia Internacional

Best Practices

Best PracticesPlatform: ChileCompraIt has:• Single Vendors Catalog

(300K companies)• Single Products Catalog

• Covers the entire contracting cycle• 900 affiliated agencies• Cost Savings of $ 70 million annually

Platform: CompraNetStarted as a portal in 1996• In 2006 realized  $ 30 billion transaction• 30,000 tenders annually• 7,000 purchasing units

International Experience

A portal that integrates a set of subsystems related to purchasing management.Average length of shopping in this modal is 10 days.It Has:• Single vendor registration.• Standardized Product Catalog System •The model encourages participation of small and medium enterprises and other priority sectors for national development

PanamáCompra• New modalities such as minor procurement contracts, public bidding, bid for best value tendering framework agreement, reverse auction and direct contracting.• It Has:•Single electronic catalog of products and services•Single vendor registration.•Participants 7500. 180,000 procedures.•Contracts awards value in $ 2.200 million.

• Single Window

• Real-time monitoring of procurement

processes.

• Online marketplace, where real-

time interaction tens of

thousands of buyers with tens of

thousands of vendors

• Paperless

• Signature and digital certificate

• Single Window

• Real-time monitoring of procurement

processes.

• Online marketplace, where real-

time interaction tens of

thousands of buyers with tens of

thousands of vendors

• Paperless

• Signature and digital certificate

All information is available via the Internet, through a centralized electronic record single case processed. Which can be obtained and accessed in real time.

• 37,000 public institutions• Single product registration: 120,000

products (UNSPSC Standard)• Single vendor registration: registered

companies• 180,000 visits per day• Cost Savings of $

4,500 million annually (*)

Technologically feasible and tested

• Allows the linkage to the vendor and information systems of all public institutions, financial and controlling entities.

• Follow the ASP business model (Application Service Provider) and which can provide or integrate with all the features of the procurement process.

• Allows the linkage to the vendor and information systems of all public institutions, financial and controlling entities.

• Follow the ASP business model (Application Service Provider) and which can provide or integrate with all the features of the procurement process.

• That’s why in 2008, the Technical Secretariat of Digital Government initiated a technical cooperation relationship with the Government of South Korea.

• MOU(8) is signed, with a view to promoting the implementation of an electronic procurement system in Costa Rica, which takes as basis the standards and technologies of Korea Online

e-Procurement System (KONEPS).• In this system, then would call as ”Mer-

link” On-line Marketplace.

(8) Memorandum of understanding between the public procurement service of the Republic of Korea and the Intersectoral Commission for Digital Government of the Republic of Costa Rica in collaboration for managing acquisitions. May 9, 2008

What's Online Marketplace

"Mer-link"?

What is Mer-link?

It is the country's response to the challenge of efficient and effective

management of public procurement

Modernization of the

State

Standardization Process

Digitization Process

Mer-link implementation

2009 2010

Project Started

July 2009

II Phase

Dec 2010

I Phase

March 2010

I Phase

April 2010

Schedule

I Phase

May2010

Progressive implementation

Main features

Single Vendor

Registration and Product & Service Catalog

“Paperless” Model

Using Digital Signature

•Applied during the process• Authentication• Signature of docume

nts and records•Legal value to acts

Electronic Documents

Single Vendor Registration

Buyers

Social Security Administration,

National Registry,

Heath, others

Vendors

Product and Service Catalog

• More Visibility into procurement processes (transparency).

• More customers • Visibility of its goods and services.• Simplification of procedures.• Extended hours. (24 hours)• Secured Documents. (Digital Signature)• Mer-link’s Call Center.• Participation and equality of conditions for small and

medium enterprises• No charge for use

Benefits for vendors

Benefits for the country

Lessons Learned

“Everyone can access”