Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT) organized a sensitization workshop on 'Good Procurement Practices for Information Technology' in association with the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (MPSEDC), BSA and Accenture as knowledge partners, and supported by HP. The workshop highlighted the importance of good IT procurement practices for government and semi-government organizations.
Delivering the keynote address, Shri L.K. Tiwari, Chief General Manager, Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd. said," There is a conscious need to make right and informed decisions while undertaking Government purchases. The process is not only answerable to the internal system but also to its citizens. There is no scope for losing even a bit due to ignorance - hence this workshop on importance of good IT procurement practices for government and semi-government organizations is extremely useful and was needed at this juncture." He emphasized the importance of good IT procurement procedures and explained how MPSEDC aims to collaborate with the industry to help in speedy adoption of IT solutions, to improve the effectiveness of e-Governance programmes in Madhya Pradesh.
Prominent speakers at the workshop included Mr Anwar Shirpurwala, Executive Director, MAIT and Mr Ankur Malhotra, VP - GR and PP, Accenture. The speakers emphasised on the need for changing the existing IT procurement practices, identifying susceptibilities and reviewing processes to make them more impactful and efficient. They also advocated why IT procurement is important for the overall development of the State.
Mr Anwar Shirpurwala, Executive Director, MAIT said, "The main aim of this workshop was to share best practices in IT procurement and to encourage collaboration between industry and government, as that is essential for the success of e-Governance programmes. It is quite encouraging to see participation from such a large number of government officials in the discussions. Seeing Madhya Pradesh come forward to adopt IT as a key enabler in delivery of government services and development initiatives is a source of great encouragement."
With government becoming one of the largest adopters of IT, it is important to address critical issues like project delays, lack of standardization and slow decision making in implementation of e-Governance projects. The workshop was aimed to create a free, secure and transparent environment for discussing procurement best practices for IT goods and services.
