Essential features

There are number of essential features to CoST that provide a framework for adaptation to the country context.

Disclosure

Proactive disclsoure: CoST promotes transparency in public construction by ensuring that basic information on projects is disclosed by procuring entities to the public at key points throughout the project cycle.

Reactive disclosure: The procuring entities gives access to other relevant information on projects on request.

Within participating countries, the goal is to establish a public disclosure process for the construction sector that is viable and appropriate to country conditions. It must also be sustainable in the medium and long term as a government system, and that achieves a credible and substantial level of compliance from the procuring entities.

Assurance

The assurance process adds value to the disclosures by assessing the credibility of the results and helping to interpret the information for stakeholders. Carried out by independent team or independent entity, the assurance process comprises two levels of review:

at the sector level and procuring entity level on the completeness and accuracy of the information disclosed and on the general features of performance; and
at the project level, on a small random sample of projects, for which issues of potential concern to stakeholders are highlighted.

Multi-stakeholder approach

In each country CoST is directed by a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) that represents the interests of government, the private sector, and civil society. This approach is intrinsic to CoST, which at its heart is a public interest objective that will ultimately benefit each of these three stakeholder groups. By bringing the groups together on neutral ground, CoST helps them to jointly form and pursue efforts to improve value for money, efficiency, and effectiveness in public construction.

The resources section of this website provides guidance on establishing and implementing these essential features of CoST.

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