By CoST – Infrastructure Transparency Initiative
CoST’s recent survey of construction firms showed that only 14% of respondents in Africa believe that companies compete on a level playing field. The results across other regions paint a similar picture.
For many contractors, unfairness, mismanagement and opacity in public procurement remain major obstacles to a competitive business environment. When public procurement processes lack transparency no-one wins; costs rise whilst trust and competition falls. Ultimately it is the citizens who fail to get the services they need.
The experience of Uganda – a member of CoST – the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative – offers valuable lessons for contractors and membership organisations.
Uganda was losing the trust of contractors with the number of registered providers falling from 553 in 2017 to just 371 two years later. Companies cited corruption, high costs, and unfair consideration as reasons to stay away — leaving government with fewer choices, weaker competition, and poor value for money.
Yet Uganda showed when government and industry work together they can rebuild industry’s trust in government, level the playing field for contractors, and help ensure better quality and value for money infrastructure. Within a year average bids per tender had increased from 1.6 to 12.5[1]
THE 5 STEPS UGANDA TOOK
Publish data that matters
One of Uganda’s most transformative achievements was the integration of open data standards (through the Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standard (OC4IDS)) into the national Government Procurement Portal (GPP) in 2021, publishing data on over 1 billion USD of infrastructure projects as of 2025.
This is a goldmine of data which can be analysed by contractors to inform their future bids, as well as by government to use this data in future decision making.
Give contractors a seat at the table…
Uganda’s infrastructure transparency efforts are a multistakeholder approach with contractors playing an important role.
The Uganda National Association of Builders, Suppliers and Engineering Contractors (UNABSEC) work closely with Ministry of Works and Transport, Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority and procuring entities to take the CoST approach forward.
Uganda have shown a strong commitment to collaboration with contractors, by building relationships with hundreds of private sector stakeholders. They have raised companies’ knowledge of both the procurement framework and the steps they have been taking to increase transparency in infrastructure, and to involve the supply side in promoting transparency themselves.
…and also the public
Through barazas – open public forums that bring communities together with contractors and government decision makers – over 3,000 citizens have influenced infrastructure delivery.
For contractors, investing in a strong dialogue with the community builds trust locally and means fewer disputes, better project acceptance, and more predictable implementation.
The success of this approach has led citizen participation to be legally mandated into the monitoring of public infrastructure contracts, through an amendment to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act (2021).
For contractors, this stronger community dialogue means fewer disputes, better project acceptance, and more predictable implementation.
Open yourself up to scrutiny
Contractors’ and the government’s openness towards recognising the value of – and even inviting – public scrutiny, though independent reviews of data (assurance reports) and Infrastructure Transparency Index (ITI) has helped create a better business environment.
The findings of independent reviews can help identify live issues relating to infrastructure projects early and give both the demand and supply side a chance to rectify issues.
The Infrastructure Transparency Index (ITI) looks at issues such as the enabling environment and quality of project data publication by sector. Such independent lens is both useful for contractors and government alike. It helps show contractors which procuring entities are more open and accountable, and thus more likely to operate a level playing field. It also offers government a valuable roadmap for how the procurement environment can be further improved and allows benchmark of progress over time.
Uganda also recognised that the national and local media played a critical part in repairing the trust and confidence of contractors. In the last five years, their work training journalists on how to use the infrastructure data published has resulted in over 100 media stories published about public infrastructure which has helped increase the openness, therefore attractiveness, of Uganda’s business environment.
Ensure a conducive regulatory environment
The government showed they were open to working with contractors to identify and solve barriers to bidding.
Through continued dialogue between business associations and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), several policy reforms have directly improved the business environment for contractors:
- Bid securities reduced from 2% to 1% of contract value.
- Performance securities halved from 10% to 5%.
- 15% of contract awards reserved for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
These changes have made bidding more accessible and inclusive — particularly for small and medium-sized firms — while driving up competition and quality.
5 LESSONS FOR CONTRACTORS
For CICA members, Uganda’s experience illustrates practical steps for other countries and markets to adapt:
- Transparency builds market confidence: Open, standardised data reduces risk and enables both contractors and procuring entities to make better procurement decisions.
- Partnership with government pays off: Many of Uganda’s reforms emerged from continuous dialogue between business associations, contractors and procuring entities. When contractors engage constructively, and government give them the seat at the tablet to do so, they can shape policies that reduce barriers and improve fairness.
- Public scrutiny is an asset, not a threat
Independent reviews, Infrastructure Transparency Index and media oversight help identify issues early, improve performance, and build trust. Both contractors and the public benefit when projects are held to high standards, issues spotted early and delivery risks are reduced. - Inclusive and community-aligned markets are more stable
Engagement with communities reduces disputes and creates smoother project implementation. A business environment trusted by citizens is ultimately more predictable and efficient for contractors. - Fair competition benefits all — predictable and inclusive bidding processes encourage participation and innovation.
Uganda’s example shows how transparency is not just good governance, it’s also good business.
This story is a summary of a fuller impact story of the work in Uganda, read the full story.
[1] 2019 versus 2020. https://infrastructuretransparency.org/factsheet-cost-uganda-and-the-business-integrity-initiative/
