Disclosure
Disclosure in Ethiopia
Overview
The disclosure process ensures that information about the purpose, scope, costs and execution of infrastructure projects is open and accessible to the public, and that it is disclosed in a timely manner.
Disclosure progressing in Ethiopia two procuring entities; Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) and Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) started disclosing information (17 projects), with further commitments to scale up their disclosure. This is significant given the changes in the political economy currently underway in the country.
Despite the fact that CoST Ethiopia’s website was shut down for months since March 2024, there was nevertheless an average of 877 unique monthly visitors to the CoST disclosure portal during this time.
The total number of projects disclosed in Ethiopia currently stands at 106.
Cross-government commitment to disclosure
In 2016, CoST Ethiopia signed a quadripartite Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable disclosure in line with the CoST Infrastructure Data Standard (CoST IDS). This was signed with FEACC, the Office of the Federal Auditor General (OFAG) and the Federal Public Procurement and Property Administration Agency (FPPA). The memorandum formalizes these procuring entities’ commitment to disclosing data and specifies the projects which will be included. As a result of this, CoST Ethiopia has trained 42 procuring entities and helped adapt the FPPA’s previous website to disclose project information.
Ultimately, this commitment aims to introduce proactive disclosure in all federal procuring entities.
Training
CoST Ethiopia trains officials from procuring entities on the CoST approach and the disclosure process, often enlisting professionals from stakeholder institutions to lead these sessions. In addition, representatives from CoST Ethiopia attend external events, panels and training sessions in order to communicate the CoST approach: to date, over 1,000 representatives from the media, government and other stakeholders in Ethiopia have received CoST training as a result.
Online Portals
Regular, proactive disclosure has not yet started in Ethiopia. However, formerly the Federal Public Procurement and Property Authority used to hold data from 41 contracts from 16 procuring entities. CoST Ethiopia’s portal below holds data from 17 projects which have been proactively disclosed.
Since the Authority upgraded its website to eGP which is not aligned with the CoST standard the host organization FEACC plans to develop its own Disclosure Platform in the near future.
Legal Mandate for Disclosure
Institutionalizing the CoST approach via legal mandates will help ensure the long-term sustainability of transparency actions. CoST Ethiopia is working with appropriate government institutions to ensure this is achieved.
Ethiopia’s Procurement and Property Administration Proclamation (No.649/2009) has laid the groundwork for a legal mandate on disclosure in Ethiopia. While the proclamation signifies good progress towards institutionalizing CoST disclosure requirements in Ethiopian law, it falls short of regulating full proactive disclosure. It was revised and CoST Ethiopia has contributed articles which address all aspects of disclosure, such as more a rigorous assessment of the pre and post-contract award stage.
Disclosure Reports
Reports
Disclosure – Adiremet Dejena Dansha
Disclosure – MehalMeda-Alemketema Disclosure Draft
Disclosure – Dabus Irrigatiion Design Disclosure Draft
Disclosure – Koga Irrigation and Watershed Management P_and_ C info
Disclosure – St Paul Medical College P_and_ C info
Disclosure – Hossana University P_and_C info
Disclosure – Jimma University P_and_ C info