Responsibility and professionalization of the contract administrator in Paraguay: an applied vision for public management

Abstract

Public contracting in Paraguay handles an important part of the national budget, intended for purchasing goods, services, and works. With the new Law No. 7021/2022, the figure of the contract administrator appeared, designed to improve efficiency, transparency, and control during contract execution. But in practice, this implementation has problems: appointments don't follow clear technical criteria, specialized training is lacking, and capacity building is limited. This work examines the role of the contract administrator from two angles: one critical, based on what doctrine says and experiences from other countries, and another practical, looking at the real challenges of implementing it in Paraguay. Cases from Spain, Chile, Colombia, and the European Union are reviewed, which clearly show that without professionalization, this figure doesn't work. Finally, concrete proposals are presented: defining what profile this person should have, creating continuous training programs, better integrating digital systems, and periodically evaluating how they work. Strengthening the contract administrator is a real opportunity to have more efficient, transparent, and results-oriented public management.