Public Procurement Rules and e-GP Compliance Training in Tashkent

Programme Overview

Public procurement offices across South Asia and Africa are working under rules that changed in the last twelve months. In Bangladesh, the Public Procurement Rules 2025 took effect on 28 September 2025 with 154 rules and 21 schedules, and electronic government procurement (e-GP) is now mandatory for all public procurement. The Public Procurement (Amendment) Act 2026, published in the gazette in April 2026, removed the 10 per cent plus-minus price cap in national works procurement, confirmed mandatory e-GP and made a local partner compulsory in joint ventures for international competitive tendering.

In Pakistan, the Public Procurement Rules 2026 were notified on 28 September 2026. Rule 8 requires every procuring agency to carry out public procurement through EPADS, the e-Pak Acquisition and Disposal System, and the rules set out integrity pacts, bidder eligibility, blacklisting, abnormally low bids and the redressal of grievances. In Zambia, the Zambia Public Procurement Authority has been training procuring entities and suppliers on the integration of its e-GP system with IFMIS, PACRA and ZRA, including how to finalise tenders on the system.

The money behind these reforms is significant. In June 2025 the World Bank approved US$250 million for Bangladesh’s Strengthening Institutions for Transparency and Accountability (SITA) project, which supports five agencies, including the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority, and will develop a second generation of e-GP and broaden its scope. Systems and rules, however, only improve results when the people using them apply them consistently, record their decisions properly and can defend those decisions before auditors and complaint bodies.

This programme, held in Tashkent, is built for that gap. Over five days, participants work through the full procurement cycle under new rules and on an electronic system: planning, bidding documents, evaluation, award, complaints, contract management and reporting. Every session uses real situations drawn from the reforms above, and every participant leaves with checklists and templates they can use in their own agency the following week.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Interpreting new procurement rules and amendments correctly
• Annual procurement planning on an e-GP system
• Choosing the right procurement method and thresholds
• Preparing compliant electronic bidding documents
• Specifications that are clear, neutral and testable
• Bid opening and evaluation on electronic platforms
• Evaluation records that withstand audit and complaints
• Handling abnormally low bids
• Integrity pacts, conflict of interest and red flags
• Joint venture requirements and bidder eligibility
• Debarment and blacklisting procedures
• Complaint and grievance handling within legal deadlines
• Contract award, publication and transparency duties
• Contract management and variations after award
• Integration of e-GP with financial and tax systems
• Procurement performance indicators and reporting
• Working with World Bank and ADB procurement rules alongside national law
• Change management when paper processes end

The programme suits national procurement authorities, line ministries, state enterprises and project implementation units financed by development partners, and it can be delivered in-house for a single institution.

The Growing Importance of e-GP Compliance

Mandatory electronic procurement changes more than the channel. Every decision leaves a time-stamped record, every deadline is enforced by the system, and every step can be reviewed later by auditors, complaint bodies and the public. Where staff are still used to paper files, the result is often late tenders, rejected bids for avoidable reasons, weak evaluation reports and complaints that could have been prevented.

The reforms in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Zambia show the same pattern: new legal requirements, a system that becomes the only route, and a large group of officers and suppliers who must learn both at the same time. Development partners are financing the systems; this programme focuses on the people and the procedures that make them work.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Reading the new rules and applying them to a live tender
• Preparing procurement plans that the system will accept
• Drafting bidding documents with clear qualification criteria
• Running electronic bid opening without disputes
• Writing evaluation reports that explain every decision
• Identifying and treating abnormally low bids
• Applying integrity pacts and conflict of interest rules
• Answering complaints on time and on the merits
• Publishing award information as the law requires
• Managing contract variations without breaching the rules
• Using e-GP data to monitor performance
• Coaching colleagues and suppliers through the change

Strong e-GP compliance helps organisations:

• Award contracts faster with fewer re-tenders
• Reduce successful complaints and audit observations
• Protect officers who make defensible decisions
• Increase competition and supplier confidence
• Meet development partner fiduciary requirements
• Produce reliable procurement statistics
• Detect integrity risks earlier
• Link procurement with budget execution and payments

The programme treats compliance as a practical skill: knowing what the rule requires, doing it correctly on the system, and recording why.

Who Should Attend This e-GP Compliance Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Staff of public procurement authorities and regulators
• Heads of procurement units in ministries and agencies
• Procurement officers and assistants
• Members of tender evaluation committees
• Procurement specialists in project implementation units
• Contract managers and engineers who manage variations
• Internal auditors and audit office staff reviewing procurement
• Finance officers who link procurement and payments
• e-GP system administrators and help desk staff
• Legal officers handling complaints and disputes
• Procurement trainers in civil service academies
• State enterprise and utility procurement teams
• Local government procurement officers
• Development partner procurement focal points

Mixed teams from one institution, for example a head of procurement, an evaluation committee member and an auditor, gain the most because they can agree new working methods together.

e-GP Compliance Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this e-GP Compliance Training, participants will be able to:

• Explain the main changes in recent procurement rules and what they mean in practice
• Prepare an annual procurement plan suited to an e-GP system
• Select procurement methods correctly and justify the choice
• Draft electronic bidding documents with clear, lawful criteria
• Conduct electronic bid opening and keep a complete record
• Evaluate bids consistently and write a defensible evaluation report
• Assess abnormally low bids and decide on a documented basis
• Apply integrity pact, conflict of interest and eligibility rules
• Handle complaints within statutory timelines
• Manage contract variations within the rules
• Use e-GP data to report procurement performance
• Plan the change from paper habits to fully electronic procedures

Each objective is linked to a workshop output, so participants can show their managers what they will apply on return.

Programme Contents and Structure

e-GP Compliance Training Methodology

The programme is practical and case based. Short inputs are followed by exercises on sample tenders, so participants practise each rule rather than only hearing about it.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on the rules and their application
• Country cases from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Zambia
• Exercises on sample bidding documents and bids
• Simulated e-GP workflows and records
• Evaluation report writing with structured feedback
• Complaint handling role plays
• Peer review between agencies
• Checklists and templates participants keep
• Group discussions on common audit findings
• Individual and team action planning

Facilitators adapt examples to the participants’ own procurement laws, so mixed groups from several countries still work on rules that apply to them.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this e-GP Compliance Training, participants will be able to:

• Apply the rules that changed in their country to every stage of a tender
• Run planning, bidding and evaluation fully on the e-GP system
• Produce evaluation reports that explain and justify each decision
• Treat abnormally low bids consistently
• Recognise integrity red flags in procurement data
• Respond to complaints correctly and on time
• Manage contract variations within the rules
• Report procurement performance with system data
• Lead the change in their own team

Agencies gain officers who can make faster decisions that stand up to review, which is what the new rules and systems are meant to achieve.

Institutional Application of e-GP Compliance Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Procurement planning and budget alignment
• Standard bidding documents and templates
• Evaluation committee practice
• Integrity and conflict of interest controls
• Complaint handling procedures
• Records management for audit
• Contract management after award
• Procurement performance reporting
• Coordination between procurement, finance and audit
• Supplier engagement during system change
• Internal procurement training capacity

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Rule change map for their agency
• Stage-by-stage compliance checklist
• Evaluation report template
• Abnormally low bid assessment sheet
• Complaint response template and timeline
• Contract variation decision record
• Procurement performance indicator set
• 90-day implementation plan

Agencies can test their starting point before the programme with Risalat’s free procurement maturity assessment.

Regional Relevance & Application

Asia

Bangladesh and Pakistan both moved to fully electronic procurement in 2025 and 2026. Bangladesh’s rules make e-GP mandatory for all public procurement and the World Bank’s SITA project is building a second generation of e-GP at the procurement authority, while Pakistan’s 2026 rules route all procurement through EPADS. Agencies in Nepal and Central Asia face similar questions as they update their own laws and systems.

Africa

In Zambia, the procurement authority has trained procuring entities and suppliers on new integrations between e-GP and the government’s financial, company registration and revenue systems. Other African agencies moving procurement online can use the same methods to prepare their staff and suppliers.

The common thread is clear: systems and rules are in place or being built, and the remaining risk sits with practice. The programme addresses that practice directly.

Host Country Profile – Uzbekistan

Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, is Central Asia’s largest city and a regional air and business hub. It offers modern conference venues, a compact centre and a setting away from participants’ daily workload, with Central Asian peers able to join the same group.

For procurement officials from South Asia and Africa, Tashkent is a new destination that encourages open discussion between countries working on similar reforms. Any visits to Uzbek institutions are arranged only when confirmed with the host and are announced to participants in advance; the programme does not depend on them.

Bangladesh is listed among the countries whose citizens can apply for an Uzbek electronic visa. Participants of other nationalities should check the official entry rules early, and Risalat provides visa support letters for registered participants.

e-GP Compliance Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme so that learning turns into changes at work.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• e-GP Compliance Readiness Assessment
• e-GP Compliance Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with breakfast: 6 nights, check-in Sunday 11 April 2027, check-out Saturday 17 April 2027 (one night before and one night after the programme)
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive e-GP Compliance Training Manual
• Stage-by-Stage Procurement Compliance Checklist
• Evaluation Report Template
• Abnormally Low Bid Assessment Sheet
• Complaint Response Template
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• 90-Day e-GP Compliance Plan
• Procurement Performance Indicator Set
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions that want this programme for a whole procurement unit, built around their own rules and e-GP system, can request a tailored in-house version.

Common Challenges in e-GP Compliance, And How This Training Helps

How can staff learn new rules and a new system at the same time?

Day 1 maps only the rules that changed for each agency, and Day 2 applies them directly on electronic bidding documents, so learning stays focused on what officers actually do.

How can evaluation reports stop attracting audit observations?

Day 3 is built around writing and defending an evaluation report, using the questions auditors and complaint bodies ask.

How should an agency treat an abnormally low bid?

Day 3 sets out a documented method: identify, request an explanation, assess it and record the decision, in line with rules such as Pakistan’s provisions on abnormally low bids.

How can complaints be answered correctly and on time?

The Day 4 case study takes teams through a real-style complaint, its deadlines and the evidence needed from the evaluation record.

How can integrity risks be spotted in e-GP data?

Day 4 covers red flags of collusion and conflict of interest and how integrity pacts and declarations are applied.

How can paper workarounds be ended without slowing procurement?

Day 5 covers change management, supplier support and a 90-day plan, so the move to fully electronic procedures is managed rather than forced.

How can management see whether procurement is improving?

Day 5 builds a short set of performance indicators drawn from e-GP data that procurement heads can report every quarter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this programme for?

Procurement authority staff, procurement directors and officers, evaluation committee members, PIU procurement specialists, contract managers, internal auditors and e-GP administrators in agencies applying new procurement rules and electronic procurement.

Is it only about Bangladesh?

No. The case material comes from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Zambia, where new rules and e-GP systems are being rolled out, but the methods apply to any agency moving to mandatory electronic procurement under national rules or World Bank and ADB procedures.

Why is it held in Tashkent?

Tashkent is a Central Asian hub away from participants' daily pressures, Bangladesh appears on Uzbekistan's official e-visa list, and Risalat has few programmes there, so groups get a focused setting. Other nationalities should check entry rules before registering.

Can our agency request this as an in-house programme?

Yes. Institutions can request a tailored version built around their own procurement rules, e-GP system and audit findings through Risalat's request for proposal form.

Do participants need to bring anything?

A recent procurement file or tender (with confidential details removed) helps, as the workshops use real cases to build a compliance checklist and an evaluation record template.

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