IPCR Commended By BPSR For Robust Financial Management, Procurement System

By: Michael Mike

The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has commended the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) for its robust and prudent resource management and procurement process, which it said complied with the extant laws of the country.

The Director General of the Bureau, Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi gave this commendation when he led a team of the Bureau to the IPCR for the presentation of the statutory assessment report of the activities of IPCR as well as presentation of awards to the Institute.

Mr. Arabi congratulated Dr. Joseph Ochogwu on his appointment as the Director General of IPCR, adding that it did not come as a surprise to him because of Ochogwu’s commitment to tackle the enormous problems confronting the country through thorough conflict resolution mechanisms.

He said: “IPCR has robust public financial management, financial and accounting policies that comply with financial regulations which it clearly reviews to ensure efficient and reliable mechanism in line with the extant laws of the country.”

On procurement, Arabi expressed satisfaction with the procurement process of the institute, stressing that it has established adequate systems and procedures and built experienced personnel with required capacity to exercise procurement activities.

He noted that the institute awards contracts only to bidders that comply with all the specifications for procurement process and procedures even as he assured that the Bureau will work with the institute to improve their capacity

He added that the IPCR has met the expectations of all the critical goals of the institute and declared as a Third Level Silver Level organization, explaining that the IPCR in meeting the expectations has performed consistently in areas of responsibility and the quality of work generally.

He however, recommended that the institute should develop a stakeholders engagement mechanism, assess the performance of staff, establish award systems, digitilize data processes and identify short and long term collaboration with partners as well as establish health and safety policies for the well-being of staff.

He also recommended that the institute develop asset management and inclusive policy, develop a formal code of conduct and develop operations and strategic plan and internal control system and to create a mechanism to collaborate with development partners as well as insurance policies for its officers and create anti-corruption standards.

He charged them to address some of the shortcomings of the Institute in order to achieve the goals of the institute through innovation, planning and deployment of self-assessment tools even as he advised them to conduct periodic assessment of their performance.

In his reaction, the IPCR Director General, Ochogwu expressed happiness with the objective assessment of the institute by the Bureau, adding that this will encourage the Institute to address their challenges within their operational system and work in synergy to achieve its mandate through resource mobilization plan.

The DG told the visiting team that IPCR is ready to partner with the BPSR, adding that what the Bureau is doing is in line with global services.

He said: “On behalf of the staff, we are so humbled with the objective assessment. Before you came we have been having meetings with ourselves. We are going to run with this report, item by item. Before you come back again, we would have achieved a milestone.

“We will look at the areas of strength and how we can strengthen it and look at the areas of weakness and see how we can improve on it to become our strength. I want to assure you that you will meet a better IPCR when next you come.”

IPCR Commended By BPSR For Robust Financial Management, Procurement System