Mexico City

Improving Contract Transparency and Efficiency in CDMX

CitiesMexico CityImproving Contract Transparency and Efficiency in CDMX

Bloomberg Associates worked with Mexico City to achieve greater accountability and transparency in the city’s contract system and process.

[Mexico City’s Open Contracting Portal] is an example of how technology and political will are a powerful combination to combat corruption.

Juan Pardinas, General Director, Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO)

Relevant Expertise

Enhance City Communications and Resident Engagement

Awareness and Reputation Campaigns

Modernize Municipal Systems and Processes

Contract Transparency
Internal Operations and Reporting

Promote Digital Solutions and Approaches

Digitization of Municipal Services

Challenge

Bloomberg Associates was engaged by the City to conduct a comprehensive review of Mexico City’s publicly available contract system and found significant areas for improvement. The existing process was inefficient, vulnerable to corruption, and expensive. Information on contracts was not regularly shared with citizens, and much of the publicly available data had gaps, inconsistencies, and errors. The process was also a concern for city leaders, who saw the lack of transparency as an impediment to businesses bidding on city contracts.

Approach

To address these concerns, Bloomberg Associates brought in the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP), an organization that helps governments place procurement information online in conformity with the Open Contract Data Standard (OCDS). Working alongside City departments, OCP and Bloomberg Associates laid out an action plan for a new portal that could adapt Mexico City’s contract data and processes in accordance with international best practices.

The outcome was Contratos Abiertos, a more transparent and efficient system for displaying City contracting info. Contratos Abiertos is a first-of-its-kind online city portal with information on millions of dollars worth of city contracts across city agencies. This game-changing tool was designed to reduce corruption, level the playing field, and foster more competition from the private sector. Information from all phases of procurement from bids to completion, as well as contract documentation, is made available on this open portal. Contratos Abiertos has given citizens the right, and the means, to examine city contracts and look into their background documentation. This has promoted an unprecedented degree of accountability and transparency in public spending.

Impact

The initial phase of the portal launched in June 2016 with contract information from the Finance Department. This was followed by a second phase in January 2017 that added contract information from the Departments of Public Works and General Services. The final phase was launched in July 2017, adding the 19 remaining City agencies to the portal. The site continues to publish contract information each year across the city.