U.S. establishes procurement partnership with Mexico

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City issued the following news release on Tuesday Sept. 6.-–

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency and the Government of Mexico’s Ministry of Public Administration, Secretaría de la Función Pública (SFP), formalized a partnership that will promote transparency, increased competition and best value in the procurement of public works and infrastructure projects in Mexico. Under this agreement, USTDA and the Government of Mexico are launching a training workshop as part of the Agency’s Global Procurement Initiative: Understanding Best Value (GPI).

“Mexico has been a key USTDA partner for many years, and we have built strong relationships with both the public and private sectors to develop infrastructure across the country,” said USTDA Director Leocadia I. Zak, who signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) along with SFP’s Undersecretary of Administrative Responsibilities and Public Procurement Javier Vargas Zempoaltecatl. “We all want to make sure we are building sustainable infrastructure that truly serves the people who pay for it, and this partnership will only strengthen those efforts.”

USTDA will hold its first GPI workshop in Mexico City from September 7-9 for procurement officials from several Mexican ministries. The training will share international best practices for incorporating best value and life cycle cost analysis into public procurements fairly and transparently. It will include sessions taught by the George Washington University Law School’s Government Procurement Law Program and a technical specialist in energy procurements. The MOU provides the framework for future activities under the GPI partnership.

By building upon the already strong foundation laid by SFP for improving public procurement processes, this partnership will advance SFP’s goal of promoting good governance, as well as create a pathway to encourage the adoption of value-based procurement practices throughout the Latin America region.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project planning activities, pilot projects, and reverse trade missions while creating sustainable infrastructure and economic growth in partner countries.