Muscat: On Monday, the National Office for Local Content convened a meeting at the Secretariat General of the Tender Board to present local content indicators within the framework of institutional excellence.
The event saw participation from over 300 representatives across 50 government departments.
The meeting focused on three primary objectives: improving the governance of local content application, establishing a robust regulatory framework to ensure compliance with local content policies, and identifying avenues for enhancement that align with the strategic goals of bolstering the national economy and promoting the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Organizers highlighted the progress made in local content initiatives to date and outlined the following key points:
- The methods for implementing indicators and assessing their effectiveness.
- The application of local content standards in government projects, procurement, and contracts.
- The evaluation of local content performance based on specific indicators aligned with institutional excellence.
Participants gained insights into the various stages of local content development, from planning to monitoring and performance evaluation.
Additionally, the meeting underscored the importance of incorporating “criteria of tender documents” in project bids and evaluating competitors based on the local content plans submitted with their proposals.
Attendees were also introduced to local content indicators, which encompass three key areas: “development projects,” “operational contracts,” and “government units and their procurement activities.”
Each sector encompasses three key components: creating job opportunities for residents, promoting the utilization of local products and services, and assisting small businesses and employers.
The aforementioned sectors consist of 11 sub-indicators designed to assess the effectiveness of government entities in executing local content policies, as well as their efforts to improve local content in their procurement, contracts, and projects—aiming primarily to optimize the local benefits derived from government expenditures.
