Tender Social Witness
Intervention Mechanism
A Testigo Social (Social Witness) is a citizen or civil society organisation formally accredited by the Secretaría de la Función Pública (SFP) to participate in and observe certain public procurement processes in Mexico, with the purpose of strengthening transparency and accountability.
Initiative Summary
Created under Article 26 of the Ley de Adquisiciones, Arrendamientos y Servicios del Sector Público, this accountability mechanism allows a citizen or civil society organisation to participate with an active voice during the tender process, including the planning stage, the bidding process, the evaluation of proposals, and the contract award stage. It applies to public procurement procedures above a high monetary threshold or in other cases determined by the SFP based on the impact of the contract. If any irregularities are identified during the process, the citizen or organisation is required to report them to internal control bodies and/or congressional oversight bodies.
Practice Lesson
The initiative demonstrates the value of institutionalising citizen oversight in procurement law to establish an official channel for participation in tender processes.
Reference
Secretaría de la Función Pública. (2021). Ley de adquisiciones, arrendamientos y servicios del sector público (texto vigente con reformas). Gobierno de México. Available from: https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/646430/Adqui_20-05-21.pdf