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This study examined perceptions of citizen oversight as a mechanism for transparency and social control in Panamanian public procurement. It used a descriptive, cross-sectional quantitative approach, supported by a documentary review that contextualized the regulatory framework and empirical findings. The survey was limited to Arraiján district in Panamá Oeste province. Responses from 138 participants were analyzed across six Likert-type items addressing citizen participation, information clarity, prevention of irregularities, use of PanamaCompra, accountability, and stronger reporting and monitoring channels. Data were processed in SPSS using absolute frequencies and percentages. The stated population comprised 202,198 Panamanian citizens residing in Arraiján; a 95% confidence level, an expected proportion of 10%, and a planned error of 5% were used to calculate a reference sample size. However, neither the selection procedure nor verification of eligibility was documented, so those parameters do not establish representativeness. The documentary review informed interpretation but did not constitute an independent qualitative phase. Only six item distributions were available for analysis. Among participants, 112 (81.2%) supported strengthening reporting, monitoring, and participation mechanisms, and 96 (69.6%) viewed oversight favorably as a preventive mechanism. In addition, 92 (66.7%) gave positive responses regarding information clarity, whereas 61 (44.2%) responded favorably to using PanamaCompra for citizen oversight. The findings describe the views of the surveyed group and support the provision of understandable procurement information and accessible participation channels. They do not permit inferences about the entire Panamanian population or establish causal effects on procurement outcomes.
