The Story of the Civil Supervisor: A Missed Opportunity to Strengthen Civil Control of Public Procurement in the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

This paper focuses on the role of civil society in the oversight of public procurement procedures through the prism of experiences with the institute of Civil Supervisor in Serbian law. The first part of the paper explores the prospects and challenges of civil control of public procurement and illustrates a number of successful comparative models. The second part is centered around the institute of Civil Supervisor, which is analyzed in light of the legal framework and practice. After asserting that the Civil Supervisor has proven to be a valuable tool for safeguarding the integrity of the Serbian public procurement system despite the obstacles caused by the legislative shortcomings, lack of institutional support, and an unfavorable political climate in which this institute has been operating, the author suggests a future trajectory for a more active engagement of civil society in improving the Serbian procurement environment.