Report on LEITI Participation in the First Global Meeting on Open Contracting, Johannesburg, South Africa The first global

meeting on Open Contracting was held in Johannesburg, South Africa from October 24 26. Based on an invitation from the organizers and the Multi-stakeholder Steering Group (MSG) approval at the September 2012 meeting, the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) was represented by its Head of Secretariat. Open Contracting Meeting Open Contracting is a new global initiative focusing on increased transparency and monitoring in public contracting, including contracts implemented by multilateral donors. Open Contracting spans from the disclosure of pre-award public procurement information to the award, implementation, monitoring, and accountability of contracts to ensure transparency. The meeting brought together more than 140 practitioners and experts from government, civil society, private sector, and academia. Key Take-aways Open Contracting has gained momentum given the level of participation and media coverage Open Contracting is expected to benefit varying stakeholders in the following ways: Create new avenues to generate and allocate public assets in a more efficient manner Provide ways in which citizens are engaged in the outcomes of contracts Support a level playing-field of all participants in the contracting process including citizens, the private sector and government Open Contracting is not intended as an isolated/stand-alone initiative. Cultivating linkages with other like-initiatives including EITI is critical in ensuing the goals of Open Contracting are achieved. Participants are the meeting identified that Open Contracting is adaptable across multiple sectors including extractives, infrastructure, service delivery, as well as land and forestry. Open Contracting should be considered as a process and not a one-time endeavor. Participants at the meeting identified the following activities to be achieved within six months: Open Contracting Principles draft principles against the contracting chain

Identify Partners- provide information on Open Contracting to governments, industry associations, and companies Procurement Transparency Index develop steps to formulate a procurement index

Below are the commitments by the organizing partners of the Open Contracting meeting: To drive change in the contracting landscape within and across sectors towards truly transparent, accountable and participatory practices that will actively contribute to increase effectiveness in development outcomes. Our organizations and others who want to adopt similar commitments will be behind the active promotion and implementation of Open Contracting. To leverage our networks to increase the outreach of Open Contracting and to achieve broad based and diverse support to this agenda. To provide a dedicated team from across organizations to support the Open Contracting. To articulate the different action plans in a coherent overall framework for action. To sustain efforts towards mobilizing resources of different kinds to move the agenda forward.

Cost The Open Contracting meeting was hosted and sponsored by the World Bank and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in collaboration with the Government of the Philippines, Construction Sector Transparency Initiative, Transparency International, Oxfam America, and Integrity Action. Per Government of Liberia travel ordinance the Head of Secretariat was provided $350 as allowance.