The Project Technical Committee today concludes a week-long monitoring exercise on the usage and adoption of the Malawi National Electronic Procurement System (MANePS) in Procuring and Disposing Entities (PDEs).

The exercise targeted approximately 30 entities across the country.

The committee comprises officials from different government institutions that play an oversight role on the MANePS system matters, as well as supporting its adoption and effective utilization by the PDEs.

The monitoring exercise provided an opportunity for the committee to appreciate first-hand how PDEs are using MANePS, including the best practices being implemented, milestones achieved and challenges being encountered by users.

Speaking during the exercise, team leader for the northern region monitoring team, Sacha Miteche, Director of ICT at the National Registration Bureau (NRB), said the exercise was important in understanding the practical experiences of users.

“We need to appreciate the best practices, the milestones and also the challenges that users are facing so that we can address them,” said Miteche.

He said addressing the challenges identified through the exercise will be critical as the country moves towards the mandatory use of MANePS in December.

The exercise has also come at an important time as the Authority prepares for the launch of phase two features of the system in September, which will further expand the functionality of the system.

The monitoring exercise is therefore expected to provide valuable insights into areas requiring attention to ensure a smoother transition towards wider and mandatory use of MANePS. 

MANEPS is a Malawi Government Public Procurement reform project that is designed to digitize the Public Procurement Cycle to enhance efficiency and strengthen transparency and accountability in public procurement.