DPWH is currently pursuing reforms through information technology (IT) under the Road Information Management Support System (RIMSS).  This has improved the quality and delivery of DPWH services in the provision and improvement of business processes.

 

Taking advantage of information technology, the Civil Works Registry (CWR) paves way to significant changes on how DPWH handles it civil works procurement activities for local as well as foreign funded projects.

 

Although the CWR application is being utilized for World Bank (WB) funded maintenance projects since 2001 it is still a major leap for the Department when the said funding institution required that the eligibility of contractors applying for pre-qualification be determined using the CWR for the two International Bank Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) implemented projects.

 

These projects are the Rehabilitation of Surigao-Davao Coastal Road with a contract amount of Php 860M and Rehabilitation of Hinobaan-Baysa/La Castellana-Canlaon Section amounting to Php 900M.

 

As the Assistant Project Director then of IBRD PMO, MPE PMO Project Director Cathy E. Cabral, who was tasked to ensure coordination with other offices in the Department for the use of the CWR for the two projects, expressed that the application made the procurement process easier and faster since there was almost no room for subjectivity in the evaluation process, she also noted that when the results were released, appeals for reconsiderations were denied since the eligibility screening was done using the computerized system and that the results were considered final. 

 

Based on BAC data for 2004 foreign funded projects, it usually takes 15 to 17 months for the resolution of award to be released from the date the project was advertised, but with these 2 projects, procurement from date of advertisement to the bid opening   took only about 4 months and resolution of award was already submitted to the World Bank for concurrence.

 

CWR is an efficient and transparent method of ensuring the only technically and financially competent firms are allowed to submit bids and later participate on the contract bidding process.  It’s a structured and systematic procedure of contractor eligibility processing that greatly enhanced the professionalism of the Department in doing business with its stakeholders and consequently reducing legal risks and issues.