The verdict in three sentences
For 140 contracts a year and a capital budget of 6 to 15 billion FCFA, a public procurement tracking app finally gives the chief administrator a reliable view of stages, deadlines and payments. Kolonell's development sits between the medium range, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), for tracking and alerts, and the complex range, 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR), once accounting integration or open data publication is required. Timeline is 4 to 6 months, including scoping with the procurement officer.
What spreadsheets do not show
In a municipality, a contract goes through about ten stages: procurement plan, tender file preparation, no-objection notice, publication, bid opening, evaluation, award, signature, approval, start order, acceptance, payment. With spreadsheets shared between the technical department, the procurement unit and the treasury, nobody knows which file is stuck or since when.
| Contract stage | Target lead time (ballpark) | Common spreadsheet problem | What the app does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement plan | Start of fiscal year | Outdated version | Single plan, revision history |
| Tender file preparation | 2 to 4 weeks | Delay not visible | Deadline and owner per file |
| Publication and bid receipt | 21 to 30 days | Dates copied by hand | Automatic regulatory deadline calculation |
| Evaluation and award | 2 to 4 weeks | Committee convened late | D-5 alert to members |
| Signature and approval | 1 to 3 weeks | File lost between departments | Central status and attachments |
| Execution and acceptance | Contract-specific | Progress not measured | Physical and financial tracking, site photos |
| Payment | Regulatory deadline | Late-payment interest not anticipated | Alert before payment due date |
Modules and their complexity
The app serves three audiences: staff who enter data, the chief administrator and mayor who steer, and the city council that oversees. It complements national e-procurement platforms and reporting duties to the procurement regulator (ARMP in Benin); it does not replace them.
| Module | Users | Complexity | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract register and stages | Procurement unit | Medium | Included in the 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA base |
| Deadline alerts | All officers | Low to medium | Included |
| Execution tracking and site photos | Technical department | Medium | Included or optional depending on volume |
| City council dashboard | Councillors, administrator, mayor | Medium | Included |
| Accounting and payment integration | Treasury, finance | High | Moves to complex range |
| Public transparency portal | Citizens, press | Medium | Moves to complex range |
| Hosting and on-call | IT | Quoted separately | Depends on chosen hosting |
The council dashboard shows capital budget execution, late contracts by stage, amounts committed, validated and paid, and breakdown by district. For a city such as Cotonou, district-level tracking directly answers the questions raised in council sessions.
Timeline and success factors
Typical plan: 4 weeks of scoping with the procurement officer, finance and the technical department, 10 to 12 weeks of development, loading of current-year contracts, then 4 weeks of support. The two success factors are a named internal lead and a simple rule: a contract that is not in the app does not move forward.
Mini case study
Mr. Houngbédji, chief administrator of a municipality in Cotonou, oversees a 10 billion FCFA capital budget across 140 contracts. Last year's execution rate was 62%, partly because some funds were never committed as files were not ready in time. If alerts lift execution by 3 points, that is 300,000,000 FCFA of additional investment delivered in the year.
On the operating side, the procurement unit has 4 staff spending about 25% of their time consolidating spreadsheets and preparing progress reviews, the equivalent of one full-time post recovered. With an app at 7,000,000 FCFA and maintenance at 75,000 FCFA a month, i.e. 900,000 FCFA a year, first-year total cost is under 3% of the targeted execution gain.
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A further benefit is continuity: when an officer changes post or an election brings in a new team, the full history of each contract, with documents and decisions, stays in the app instead of leaving with personal spreadsheets.
FAQ
Does the app replace the national procurement platform?
No, it is an internal steering tool that complements publication obligations. All 140 contracts are tracked end to end, including execution and payment, which national platforms cover less.
Can councillors check progress themselves?
Yes, read access to the dashboard is planned for the mayor, deputies and finance committee members. Data updates continuously, without waiting for the quarterly report.
How are access rights handled?
Each profile has precise rights: entry, approval, read-only. Every change is logged with author and date, which eases audits by the regulator and the court of auditors.
Do we need to load past years' contracts?
Usually the current year and contracts still in execution are loaded, often 150 to 250 files. Older history can be imported later if needed.
What does the app cost after delivery?
Kolonell maintenance is 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month. For a municipality, the 75,000 FCFA level covers fixes and minor changes; hosting is quoted separately.
Let's scope your project. We map procurement stages, alerts and the city council dashboard with your administration, for an app in service within 4 to 6 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
