Additional Costs of Public Works Contracts in Portugal—Descriptive Statistical Analysis in Light of the Quality of Information

The aim of this work is to analyse the quality and transparency of data on the additional costs of public works. The problem identified is the lack of detailed and accessible information that allows for an adequate analysis of the performance and final state of public works, especially in relation to prices and deadlines. This is a case study carried out in Portugal, in which information from public works contracts with a closing date in 2022 was analysed. The data were extracted from the public access portal, responsible for making available and publishing information on the execution of public works contracts. The information was subjected to a statistical treatment process seeking to identify answers to transparency issues. The originality of this study lies in the quantitative and statistical approach applied to the evaluation of the transparency of the data made available on the portal, contributing to the debate on improving public management. The results indicate the need to expand the content available on the portal since the information provided does not allow for an analysis of the final state and performance of the works carried out, especially those relating to price and deadline, which in turn limits the construction of forecasting models and performance indicators. Corrective measures are proposed that include information that allows for answering questions about transparency and that allows for the construction and analysis of statistics and indicators, contributing to identifying the need for improvements in legislation, and the adoption of mechanisms that can improve, correct and or reinforce actions with an impact on the management of public resources.