Iraqi, Kurdish ministries conduct joint contracting conference

By DCG A&T PAOOctober 6, 2010

BAGHDAD — Iraqi and Kurdish contracting officers met in Arbil Oct. 3 for a 10-day contracting conference to increase the proficiency in contracting procedures and Iraqi procurement law.

Forty-five contracting officers from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior's General Directorate for Contracts, the Kurdish Regional Government Ministry of Interior, and Kurdish Regional Government Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs gathered at the KMoI offices in Arbil for a comprehensive course that covers Iraq Standard Bidding Documents for Goods, Services, Consultants, and Construction.

"As the U.S. Forces-Iraq mission enters its final stages, it is essential the MoI and KMoI award contracts critical to the operations, sustainment, and maintenance of equipment, major end items, and systems given to the Iraqi Police Forces by U.S. and Coalition Forces," said Col. Frank Holinaty, director of Financial Management and Contracting for Iraq Training and Advising Mission-Ministry of Interior.

The conference promoted the integration of the Government of Iraqi and KRG contracting community; improves application of standardized GoI procurement documents and processes and promotes Iraqi ownership of the training requirement, Holinaty said.

Feedback received from previous seminar attendees identified the need for more in-depth instruction in the application of the Iraq Standard Bidding Documents, and therefore it was the focus of the procurement seminar.

An integral part of Iraq's future self-sustaining procurement operations hinges on the GoI's successful development of their own subject matter experts, who in turn will lead training efforts for other contracting officers, Holinaty said.

Editor's note: Sabbagh is a member of the U.S. Forces-Iraq Deputy Commanding General for Advising and Training Public Affairs Office.