Baghdad: The Ministry of Planning held a meeting today via Zoom with representatives of the World Bank, during which the stages of implementing the Professionalism Strategy in Government Contracting were discussed. This comes within the framework of joint technical cooperation between the two sides to develop the contracting system in Iraq.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Administrative Affairs, Hana Ismail Al-Asadi, explained while chairing the meeting: "The meeting discussed the options proposed by the World Bank regarding the five-month Training of Trainers (ToT) plan, which aims to build a qualified national base of trainers specialized in this vital field."

Al-Asadi explained that the discussions focused on developing an integrated training scenario that ensures maximum added value for participants through the proposed training materials, and preparing for the next phase, which involves training certified professional trainers to lead the path of professionalism in the field of government contracting.

The meeting was attended by Thamer Awad, Director General of the General Government Contracts Department; Sirwan Mohammed, Deputy Minister of Planning in the Kurdistan Region (virtually); the Director General of Government Contracts in the Region; representatives of the World Bank; and representatives of relevant departments within the ministry.

It is worth noting that the Ministry of Planning, in cooperation with the World Bank, launched the National Strategy for Capacity Building and Professionalism in Government Contracting for the period (2025-2029). This strategy aims to develop national cadres and raise their efficiency in line with international standards, and to achieve transparency and efficiency in contract management within the government work system.