Data Governance Specialist

Description of the Assignment: Public procurement in the Philippines accounts for about 13-20 percent of the national GDP (World Bank, 2023), underscoring the critical importance of managing these public funds effectively to deliver genuine improvements in the lives of Filipinos. However, inefficiencies and corruption— estimated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to result in the loss of up to 20 percent of procurement budgets—continue to undermine its potential impact (OECD, 2016). The ratification of the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) seeks to modernize the system and strengthen transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public spending. The Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), through Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), and collaborations with civil society and international partners, has advanced open data initiatives and citizen engagement in procurement processes. Along with this vision, persistent challenges in data quality, governance, and stakeholder participation remain, emphasizing the need for sustained reforms to achieve a more transparent and effective procurement ecosystem. Building on this context, strengthening data governance has become a critical priority for improving procurement oversight and enabling data-driven decision-making. Despite ongoing efforts to digitize procurement processes, PS-DBM continues to face challenges related to data standardization, data quality, interoperability, and clarity of data ownership. These issues hinder the government’s ability to monitor procurement performance, detect irregularities, and generate actionable insights that support transparency and accountability. The NGPA’s reforms further highlight the need for a solid data governance environment—one that ensures procurement data is accurate, complete, secure, and responsibly managed. Establishing clear policies, standards, roles, and accountability mec