Integrity Cities implement mandatory publishing of construction project costs in a machine-readable format.
The level of citizen engagement in the life of the state and communities is shaped by access to information. Open data is one of the key factors influencing the formation of a competitive environment. And when open data is presented in a way that makes it easy to work with and to process, then much can be achieved in terms of oversight, accountability and transparency.
The EUACI partners are already implementing best practices of accountability in the construction sector. The Mykolaiv City Council has introduced the mandatory publication of budgets in machine-readable format in the summer of 2023, while Chernivtsi City Mayor, Roman Klichuk, signed a corresponding decree last week
The draft version of the document was prepared with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative.
`We are continuing to introduce electronic services and improve the availability of public data. Thanks to the digital solutions implemented in the council, we have significantly increased the efficiency of executive bodies and utility companies.
We will now publish estimates for the procurement of works and services for capital and maintenance repairs in a convenient machine-readable format. This is another important step towards greater transparency and accountability. We are developing good governance by acting in an open and clear manner,’ commented Chernivtsi City Mayor Roman Klichuk.
Now, the executive bodies, municipal enterprises, institutions, establishments, and organizations of the Chernivtsi City Council will publish all data in XML formats.
Why is this important?
Because the machine-readable format enables information systems to identify, recognize, convert, and obtain specific data without human involvement. This facilitates public work of procurement monitoring. It also gives an important tool to investigate journalists and others who are looking into public procurement.
New approaches to procurement processes create favorable conditions for competitive tenders and budget savings.
`The EUACI supports the development of good governance in our partner cities and sincerely welcomes the fact that they are adopting each other’s best experiences and practices.
Chernivtsi is already the second city to commit to publishing all estimates in a convenient format for processing. The first city to introduce such a practice was Mykolaiv. Now estimates are available for quality monitoring by any interested party` emphasized Taras Slychuk, Team Leader of EUACI`s Component «Integrity Cities».
Also, in Parliament bill No. 11057 was registered in early April. It provides for mandatory publication of prices for building materials. Its main goal is to increase transparency in construction and repair procurement, and thus strengthen trust between international partners and society.
