The Department was established in 1982, and is headed by a Director General appointed by a Cabinet decision, and connected directly with the Minister of Public Works and Housing.

The Government Tenders Department has adopted the electronic management idea since 1996, placing it in the forefront of government offices meeting with the aspirations of His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein. It utilizes now two computer networks; a local Intranet and an international Internet, and is advancing, slowly but steadily, towards completing its program in the e-government system.

The Department has owned a databank for the construction sector since 1997, which contains valuable information:

a.        The volume of the national construction work.

b.        Licensing, classifying, and qualifying contractors.

c.        Classifying and qualifying consultants.

d.        Indicators for prices of work items for selected project samples in various areas and locations.

e.        Most important legislation that governs the work of the national construction sector.

f.          Studies and indicators relevant to the construction sector.

First.                   The Department commenced, upon the Cabinet approval, the information-marketing program through the Internet in 1997, in cooperation with a specialized national company.

Second.         The Department maintains a prominent Internet website since 1997, which presents all information mentioned above around the clock (www.gtd.gov.jo).

Third.                 The Department started presenting most of the abovementioned information in English in 1998.

Fourth.            The Department started providing some of its work procedures from its Internet website as follows:

a.        Providing information about the volume of work in the construction, contracting and consultancy sector in 1998.

b.        Announcing tenders, appendices and other in 1999.

c.        Licensing of contractors, in 1999.

d.        Qualifying consultants, in 2000.

e.        Engineering services tender documents, in 2000.

f.          Classification of contractors, in 2001.

g.        For the purpose of facilitating its services, the Department has informed the public of administrative locations where each service is provided through email for each person in charge at these locations, in 2001.

h.        Preparing the hall where bids are opened, to broadcast the process live, audio visually on the Department’s Internet website, 2002.

Programs under Implementation:

a.        Prepare appropriate software for developing electronic services to departments, contractors and consultants concerned, to modernize and facilitate them.

b.        Complete computerization of financial and administrative affairs in the Department.

c.        Complete translation of all information in the Department to be published on the Department’s Internet website.

d.        Prepare the final legislative preparations to issue licensing decisions, contractor classification certificates and consultant qualification certificates through the Internet.

Future Plans:

a.        Connect the Department, through the Intranet and the Internet with concerned establishments, departments and public and private sector directorates, giving priority to the Ministry of Public Works, for the purpose of facilitating the free flow of information in both directions.

b.        Install committee-meeting halls (tenders, licensing, classification, qualifying contractors and consultants) with computer networks in order to complete procedures of these committees through computers without using paper media.

c.        Provide the service of payment for tender documents electronically.

d.        Aspire to achieving a stage of securing the integrity and security of the bidding process by applying through the Internet, if possible.

e.        Modernize and develop the Intranet and the Internet and providing them (the Directorate) with computers and software for the purpose of achieving total computerization.

f.          Appoint a specialized consulting company to carry out the maintenance, operation, development and modernization of the network, software and computers.

While the Department implements its program in light of the availability of financial and human resources, it aspires to being in the forefront of national departments and establishments that meet the aspirations of His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein of seeing Jordan a field for modern and advanced systems.

Duties and Tasks of the Department:

The Government Tenders Department practices the tasks and authorities entrusted in it according to the provisions of the Government’s Works Regulation no. (71) for the year 1986 and its amendments, including:

a.        Continue to classify contractors and consultants, and qualify them in coordination with the specialized parties, and maintain information concerning them and their work for the purposes of work inside and outside the Kingdom in accordance with qualification instructions issued by the Minister.

b.        Check and analyze the government work and technical services tenders, Compile, store and analyze this information.

c.        Carry out secretarial work for central tender committees and the Supreme Committee for the Organization of the Construction Sector and any committees and bodies formed for the purpose of organizing this sector.

d.        Standardize general and specific conditions for carrying out a contract and technical service agreements, terms of reference, tender procedures, and develop these conditions and procedures according to current laws, regulations and instructions.

e.        Publish periodic circulars on the construction sector, prices of construction materials and work items.

Administrative Organization:

The administrative staff at this point are (70) employees, 50% of whom are university graduates in various areas of specialization.

Legislation Governing the Work of the Government Tenders Department:

·            Government works regulation.

·            Contractors classification instructions.

·            Contractors licensing instructions.

·            Conciliators selection instructions.

·            Government tenders instructions.

·            Pre-qualification instructions for contractors and consultants.

·            Qualification instructions for engineering offices and consulting companies.

·            Contracting agreement (C1, C2).

·            Engineering services agreements (D1, D2, and D3).