The regulation of employment for former employees of the Ministry of Defense's state enterprise "Defence Procurement Agency" (DPA) at defense-industrial complex (DIC) enterprises, as well as ensuring proper interaction between them, was discussed during an open discussion at the NACP. The event was held in cooperation with the Basel Institute on Governance, with support from the Kingdom of Norway.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the SE “DPA,” the “Technological Forces of Ukraine” association, DIC enterprises, the Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, and international partners.
“Ensuring an open discussion and the joint participation of all stakeholders will contribute to the effective synchronization of efforts to resolve issues related to the introduction of proper anti-corruption safeguards during the interaction between defense-industrial complex enterprises and the state customer service,” noted Serhii Hupiak, Deputy Head of the NACP.
Juhani Grossmann, Senior Advisor for Central and Eastern Europe at the Basel Institute on Governance, outlined potential risks associated with the transition of state customer service employees to DIC enterprises. Specifically, he included among such risks the possibility of using confidential (insider) information, distortion of procurement procedures, and, as a result, the creation of non-competitive conditions in the labor market.
Representatives of the SE “DPA” and DIC enterprises emphasized the importance of implementing transparent, clear rules for both parties and highlighted the significance of holding such discussions to ensure effective cooperation.
According to Marta Ivashkiv, Head of the Directorate of Integrity Policy Making in the Security and Defence Sector of the NACP, ensuring a proper balance between the interests of the parties will contribute to the fulfillment of international NATO recommendations provided within the Strategic Review of Ukraine's Defense Procurement System.
“The NACP is actively participating in the process of implementing the recommendations of the Strategic Review of Ukraine's Defense Procurement System, which entails the need to build trust in the 'Defence Procurement Agency' both domestically and internationally. This requires building a sustainable dialogue between the state customer service in the defense sector and society,” noted Marta Ivashkiv.
Experience was also shared by Anela Duman, Public Procurement Expert at the Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector (CIDS) at the Norwegian Ministry of Defence; Karl Walter Høye, Vice President for Ethics and Compliance at the procurement organization Nammo; and Robert Storch, former Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense and Senior Advisor on Defense Integrity at the Basel Institute on Governance. International experts spoke about the legislative regulation of interaction between the state customer and arms manufacturers in the USA, the rules and recommendations established within the EU, as well as the experience of Norway and other countries.
