Unified Information System as an Element of the Public Procurement Digital Ecosystem (Analysis of the Experience of Use)

Abstract

When using the Russian unified procurement information system (UPIS, zakupki.gov.ru) as an information resource for analytical research, a set of problems arises that limit its usefulness. Existing publications do not fully disclose this problem of the formation of a digital ecosystem. Most of them focus on the peculiarities of using the UPIS as a platform for the implementation of specific procurement procedures, ignoring its use for analytics and monitoring tasks. The purpose of the study is to critically reflect on the organizational, technical and informational aspects of the procedures for accessing the bulk of the UPIS information. The experience of extracting data from a one-year sample of contracts in the field of procurement of emergency aviation medical services in Russia was subjected to an expert assessment. The typologization of the identified problem areas of the UPIS was carried out in terms of the quality of the information received and the built-in mechanisms for organizing its storage and retrieval. The following points were revealed: insufficient standardization and unification of methods for filling in the details of the UPIS database; incompleteness and incorrectness of filling in the provided (mandatory) \ set of details of the UPIS database; the embryonic stage of the formation of the KTRU catalog, as one of the main selection mechanisms for the formation of target data samples; lack of unambiguous regulations for the codification of procurement objects; lack of standards in the submission and placement of copies of primary documents of contracts; the lack of systemic mechanisms and structures of the UPIS database, which would unify the presentation of individual stages of contract execution throughout its life cycle; permanent retrospective modification of the data of executable contracts. Based on the analysis of these problematic points, ways are proposed and specific recommendations for improving the UPIS are developed.