What is the Inter-American Government Procurement Network?

The Inter-American Network on Government Procurement (RICG) is integrated by the government institutions of the Americas which have in their country the highest responsibility for public procurement regulation, management and modernization.

The Network has been built up gradually after the first meetings in 2003 between the responsible officials of the national offices and government procurement modernization programs of the Americas. In a first instance an Inter-American Network on E-Government Procurement was created, which entered into operation in September 2004 and which was converted in June 2005 into the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement to extend the agenda and to incorporate other initiatives related to Government Procurement within the Americas.

The members of the Network are all the highest-level government procurement officials responsible of the national offices and government procurement modernization programs of the Americas. The activities of the Network are attended by various public actors related to government procurement in their member states in order to foster and exchange knowledge, discussions, experiences on lessons learnt and best practices.

Board Members

In 2009 the Network is chaired by the representation of the Government of Mexico and the Executive Committee is constituted by the representatives of the governments of: Chile,  Costa Rica, Jamaica, Perú and Uruguay, representatives of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC/ICA), the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF). The Technical Secretariat of the Network is taken care by the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Objectives of the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement

To generate and maintain spaces for reflection, mutual knowledge, supportive technical cooperation, training and exchange of experiences between the institutions that integrate the Network aimed to contribute to the enhancement of the government procurement practices of the Region, as well as to strengthen the ties between the governments, the organization of the society related to public procurement and the international organizations.

Operation Standards of the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement

The Network has Operation Standards approved at the IV Annual Conference of the Americas that took place in the City of Panama on January 23 and 24 of 2008.

[ Download RICG Operation Standards ]