Electronic Public Procurement system in Georgia, that was launched in 2011, had been storing important and valuable data. However, there was one issue to be solved. The structure of the data was rather poor, which caused certain difficulties when using it. The implementation of OCDS into the system changed the situation. Now, it became possible to get access to structured and analyzable data.
Nowadays, due to The Georgian electronic Government Procurement (Ge-GP), which enables certain transparency, one can achieve electronic chargeless access to the information. OCDS API, developed by the World Bank and the SPA, has proved itself as a crucial element when it comes to transparent Public Procurement data in Georgia.
The project was conceived and developed to shed light on data and information concerning government procurement, to put it simply, make it visible and open to different groups of people.
One of the reasons for launching this project lay behind the fact that the data on public procurement was visible to a coterie of individuals. It was encrypted or in code, which meant that only machines were able to read it. The project planned to make it visible for everyone, including citizens taking interest in public procurement data, public officials concerned about contracting and representatives of the private sector. Another thing is that it had to change the format according to OCDS standards. It was implemented in order to disclose the data and the details of public data procurement as well as the very contracting process at different stages by means of data structuring and a system of publishing information.
GEORGIAN OCDS DATASET
To build the Georgian OCDS dataset, we used the Version 1.1 of OCDS, which is an updated scheme for presenting the records of contracting processes. It provides a filterable and comprehensive dataset, revealing the payments, progress updates, location, extensions, amendments, completion or termination info. Every 3 days, OCDS v1.1 releases data on public procurement. On the web page of Georgian Public Procurement Open Data, there is a link, where everyone can click and download a ZIP file containing a package of JSON files. Besides, through OCDS API, it is also possible to download XLSX files, which contain tables with the same data, only the format is flattened.
Generally, a developed system allows integration with the procurement data source as well as creates a possibility to analyze procurement data by visualization, Business Intelligence, analytical tools.
COMPONENTS OF GEORGIAN OCDS API SOLUTIONS
To implement OCDS API there was used a great number of tools:
- Python. The programming language of Georgian OCDS API is Python, which has libraries that provide ways to transform OCDS Releases into a compiled release or versioned release needed for the creation of OCDS records.
- Docker. Docker is used here as a container platform, which isolates each process.
- Nginx. OCDS API makes use of Nginx as a web server.
- PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL serves as a database management system and helps to handle huge loads of data and information. In other words, it is a primary data storage.
- Elasticsearch. Elasticsearch is responsible for filtering and searching for the data.
- ocdsapi. It functions as a web service based on Open API specification.
- ocdsapi_outlet. It is used here as a static dumping tool.
- Web portal. Speaking of OCDS API, it is designed as a front end application.
The received Public Procurement data also overcomes a process of mapping through OCDS Bridge, which serves as a Data mapper. The process involves an integration of the following components:
- Wishbone: a framework responsible for processing data flow.
- galleon: library dealing with the transformation of the data.
- Wishbone-galleon: a plugin taking care of data mapping.
- Wishbone-ocdsapi: a plugin interfacing with the data storage.
- Wishbone-opendata: a proprietary plugin for the Georgian project.
What is more, the project predicts the qualitative Export of Georgian Public Procurement Data. This means that a built-in email notifies module informs whether the data export has ended with success or the process has failed. To make sure it’s been built according to OCDS v1.1 standards, we’ve resorted to OCDS helpdesk. Having analyzed a developed system, it gave a feedback report on possible bugs and pitfalls that had to be fixed later on.
RESULTS
All in all, set objectives have been successfully achieved. First of all, a Public Procurement data source is finally structured and ordered. Initially, there was no access to aggregate data, because of its computer-readable format. From now on, citizens and analysts have open access to procurement data and, what is more, they are allowed to see details of the contracting. The next thing is that the documentation concerning the process of data release has become available after launching the project.
Georgian OCDS API has given a push start to clear, transparent, honest and fair processes being carried out in the field of government procurement. A great piece of work is done in order to join those, who are fighting corruption and bribery, struggling for clear, free of fraud, contracting procedures.