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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 6 November 2018

Karem Sayed Aboelazm and Attia Afandy

The purpose of this paper is to present and analyze the different concepts of centralized and decentralized procurement methods; identify the advantages and disadvantages of each…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present and analyze the different concepts of centralized and decentralized procurement methods; identify the advantages and disadvantages of each method and the two methods of public procurement applied in the Arab Republic of Egypt in an attempt to overcome the disadvantages of the Egyptian system; and introduce a new framework for government procurement in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

The descriptive approach was used in the framework of the presentation and analysis of the concepts of centralized public procurement and decentralized public procurement. The comparative approach was used for presenting some of the experiences of countries in using public procurement methods. The legal approach was also used in the analysis of the legal frameworks governing the public procurement methods in the Arab Republic of Egypt. In addition, the case study methodology was used to study the role of the General Authority for Governmental Services in Egypt in the centralized public procurement processes.

Findings

This paper attempts to find the ideal method of public procurement in general and what is the method to be followed in the Egyptian case through the data presented and analysis of the Egyptian public procurement system.

Research limitations/implications

This paper attempts to present a model or a theory on how to determine the public procurement methods that should be used in a given country and give sufficient flexibility for the conformity between the two methods upon application depending on the ecological factors of each country.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to the development of the public procurement method in the Arab Republic of Egypt by showing the gap between the use of the centralized approach and the decentralized approach at all levels and providing solutions to bridge this gap.

Social implications

This paper provides implications to reduce corruption, increase transparency and give the opportunity to the largest number of private shareholders to participate in public procurement.

Originality/value

Although there is some literature on centralized and decentralized public procurement, there is a lack or scarcity of research and academic articles on this subject (Patrucco et al., 2017). This paper attempted to do so by filling this gap in this area of research.

Details

Journal of Advances in Management Research, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0972-7981

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 August 2019

Yang Wang, Jing Liu, Jian Zuo and Raufdeen Rameezdeen

The purpose of this paper is to investigate driving factors that improve the project management efficiency (PME) in centralized public procurement systems.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate driving factors that improve the project management efficiency (PME) in centralized public procurement systems.

Design/methodology/approach

Employees in four public-sector organizations in China were surveyed. The structural equation modeling was employed to examine the relationship amongst those variables.

Findings

Organizational culture (OC) is an effective method to improve PME, and employee quality is the most critical factor of OC in this system. Job satisfaction (JS) is another significant contributor to PME and satisfaction with fairness of salary in this system being the key factor of JS. Job analysis (JA) has indirect influence on PME through JS and OC, whereas the job structure in this system is the most critical factor for JA.

Practical implications

An operational way to improve PME is to implement it from the perspectives of employee, organization and technique. At the organizational level, it is imperative to strengthen the OC by a well-structured recruitment system and to improve PME via well-design training. At the person level, both financial (i.e. income and welfare) and career incentives (i.e. promotion opportunities and a sense of belonging) are proposed to achieve employees’ JS to improve PME. At the technique level, JA approach (i.e. job rotation) is recommended to enlarge the positive influence of OC and JS on PME. These can not only ensure the management professionalism in a centralized public procurement system but can also motivate employees and maximize PME.

Originality/value

PME in a centralized public procurement system will be improved by addressing these key factors and their interrelationships. This provides detailed pathways for the centralized public procurement system to achieve better PME via optimal OC and JS and reasonable JA in China. In addition, the institutional and administrative traditions may vary significantly across cities, regions and countries. Therefore, such contextual differences should be taken into consideration for the improvement of PME in a centralized public procurement system.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2017

Andreas H. Glas, Markus Schaupp and Michael Essig

In the EU and especially in Germany, public procurement is bound to a tight legislation that also sets and enforces strategic goals such as innovation or sustainability. The…

1443

Abstract

In the EU and especially in Germany, public procurement is bound to a tight legislation that also sets and enforces strategic goals such as innovation or sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether different archetypes of public procurement organizations (centralized or decentralized; state-level or local-level) perceive and implement strategic goals differently. A survey with data from 104 entities is used for this purpose. The findings reveal that the implementation of strategy is different in centralized or state-level organizations compared with decentralized or local organizations. Centralized organizations give goals such as innovation, transparency, and sustainability a high priority, while local ones highlight regional development and SME support

Details

Journal of Public Procurement, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1535-0118

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2022

Waldemiro Francisco Sorte Junior

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a literature review on framework agreements, an instrument for demand aggregation adopted in the UK, to recommend improvements to the price…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a literature review on framework agreements, an instrument for demand aggregation adopted in the UK, to recommend improvements to the price registration system (SRP), a mechanism often used with reverse online auctions in Brazil envisaged to promote more flexibility in centralized tenders, allowing public bodies to establish contracts when the need arises, based on registered prices.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was undertaken to analyze the UK framework agreement approach and the Brazilian SRP. In addition, in-depth interviews with civil servants from the Brazilian Ministry of Economy were conducted to examine the SRP.

Findings

The experience with framework agreements in the UK reveals at least four ways to improve the Brazilian SRP: i) extending the legal maximum duration of a price registration minute (ARP) ; ii) allowing the registration of additional suppliers in the ARP, instead of only the first lowest bidder; iii) conducting mini-competitions when a contracting authority decides to use the ARP to enter into a contract; and iv) including additional criteria for awarding suppliers, in line with the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) approach.

Social implications

The flow of government financial resources into procurement accounted for approximately 16.5% of gross domestic product in Brazil and for an average of 12% in OECD countries in 2017 (OECD, 2019: 135). Public procurement is a strategic function for enabling an efficient public services delivery and infrastructure deployment. It is, therefore, relevant to examine instruments of demand aggregation to improve the outcomes of public procurement.

Originality/value

Framework agreements are currently not used in Brazil. This paper examines the UK experience with framework agreements to propose potential improvements to the Brazilian SRP, a procurement instrument vastly used in the country.

Details

Journal of Public Procurement, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1535-0118

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Public Procurement Fundamentals
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78754-608-0

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2022

Yugank Goyal

The paper examines the public procurement experiences of India and China during the Covid-19 pandemic and locates them in a framework it proposes. The paper aims to enrich the…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper examines the public procurement experiences of India and China during the Covid-19 pandemic and locates them in a framework it proposes. The paper aims to enrich the knowledge of how public procurement could be strategically used in emergencies.

Design/methodology/approach

For the two countries, the paper sieved through government orders and notifications promulgated during and for the pandemic, examined the prevailing laws and statutes that were invoked and comprehensively scanned online news portals to gather evidence. In addition, the author also engaged with select, relevant people in the sector who offered useful information about ground-level scenario.

Findings

It is found that as compared to China, in India (a) despite the presence of significant flexibilities, (b) there was a little divergence from standard procurement practices, perhaps explained by (c) weaker governance capacity and legitimacy, (c) more allocative (rather than structural) goals of procurement and (d) higher levels of centralization.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this paper are based entirely on secondary evidence limited to health care as a category of spend. This paper looks at two large countries and not their internal variations in procurement quality. The framework can also be enriched further by drawing additional categories to make the theoretical framework more promising.

Practical implications

The underlying design and motivation of public procurement policies in India need significant changes to make procurement policies responsive to disasters. Also, one can learn decentralization during emergency from the otherwise centralized politics in China.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to compare pandemic procurement-related policies of the two large countries across the Himalayan border. It also attempts to develop a scale/framework on which emergency procurement in countries can be assessed.

Details

Journal of Public Procurement, vol. 22 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1535-0118

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 June 2018

Thuso Mphela and John P.W. Shunda

The paper aims to investigate challenges facing small-, medium- and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) in public procurement in Botswana from the view of a buyer.

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate challenges facing small-, medium- and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) in public procurement in Botswana from the view of a buyer.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers conducted consultative workshops, succeeded by focus groups and follow-up telephone interviews, to collect and validate data. A total of 75 procurement officers from central government ministries and local governments participated in the study.

Findings

Results indicate that SMMEs find it difficult to deal with public procurement because of lack of capacity, unfair bias against SMMEs, inefficient government payment systems, unfair competition from their larger and established counterparts and centralized public procurement. The paper recommends a comprehensive integrated framework, improvement of SMME capacity and adopting policies to ensure greater public procurement market access.

Details

Journal of Public Procurement, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1535-0118

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2015

Giotopoulos ***, Grigoris Pavlou, Svetoslav Danchev and Aggelos Tsakanikas

During the recent economic crisis, public procurement reforms have received a great attention as a key mechanism that enables significant cost savings and improves transparency in…

Abstract

During the recent economic crisis, public procurement reforms have received a great attention as a key mechanism that enables significant cost savings and improves transparency in the public sector, particularly in countries which are under a process of extensive fiscal consolidation like Greece. This paper examines the effects of improved transparency on public procurement cost in the light of the ongoing structural reforms taking place in Greece. The basic finding indicates that ensuring transparent practices in public procurement processes reduces government expenditures by about 1.8 - 3.4 percentage points. A dataset on 2309 public supply contracts for goods was used, supplementing the pooled OLS estimates with quantile regressions.

Details

Journal of Public Procurement, vol. 15 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1535-0118

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2020

Lela Mélon and Rok Spruk

Because of the renewed interest in public purchasing and the strategic use of public funds under the requirements of sustainable development, the question arose once again as to…

1088

Abstract

Purpose

Because of the renewed interest in public purchasing and the strategic use of public funds under the requirements of sustainable development, the question arose once again as to how to curb the fall of institutional quality once criteria other than price are inserted into the decision-making in public purchasing. E-procurement has been repeatedly named as one of the most efficient tools to that effect and the present paper sets out to discover whether the implementation of e-procurement in a particular country per se entails also higher institutional quality, allowing for a wider implementation of green and sustainable procurement at the national, regional and municipal level without the fear of worsening the country’s institutional quality. By analyzing the implementation of e-procurement in Denmark, the Netherlands and in Portugal, this paper aims to verify the hypothesis that the implementation of e-procurement implies better institutions in terms of public purchasing. As such, the conclusions will be used in further research on the prerequisites for a successful implementation of green public procurement across the European Union.

Design/methodology/approach

Gathering data on institutional quality of three early e-procurement adopters (Denmark, the Netherlands and Portugal) allows for comparison of institutional quality pre- and post-e-procurement implementation. By using difference-in-differences comparison the paper seeks to answer the question how doesmandatory e-procurement influence institutional quality on the national level.

Findings

The paper finds that the reform is generally associated with a relatively stronger control of corruption in the Netherlands and Denmark, while a similar reform in Portugal failed to translate into a stronger control of corruption. Furthermore, while using the quality of regulation as a dependent variable, a positive and robust effect on the quality of regulation in Denmark was shown, while the quality of reputation in the Netherlands and Portugal declined in the post-reform period, with the drop in the quality of regulation in Portugal being considerably greater, a two-fold higher amount than the estimated drop in the Netherlands. The paper suggests that in spite of the same aims, the reform yielded substantially different or even opposing effects compared to Denmark.

Research limitations/implications

By examining three examples of early adopters, further research with broader impact is needed to deduce general implications for e-procurement implementation. Furthermore, implementation of e-procurement at the regional or local level can also yield distinct results.

Social implications

Understanding the actual impact of e-procurement on institutional quality is indispensable for further study on the matter. The present study argues that e-procurement needs to be accompanied by additional measures or variables to yield a positive impact on institutional quality in public procurement.

Originality/value

As to originality, the present paper uses a law and economics approach, originating or better said drawing motivation from green public procurement concerns, trying to provide an insight in terms of tools that can be used to eliminate concerns regarding institutional quality when implementing green public procurement practices.

Details

Journal of Public Procurement, vol. 20 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1535-0118

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 December 2022

Esmee Peters, Louise Knight, Kees Boersma and Niels Uenk

Both high reliability theory (HRT) and “new school” supply chain resilience (SCR) promote a multi-layered, adaptable, transformational, and holistic perspective on organizing and…

2500

Abstract

Purpose

Both high reliability theory (HRT) and “new school” supply chain resilience (SCR) promote a multi-layered, adaptable, transformational, and holistic perspective on organizing and managing. The authors explore whether, and if so how, HRT offer fresh perspectives on the SCR challenges experienced during COVID-19 and on organizing for future resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

Addressing SCR at the interorganizational network level, and blending theory synthesis and case study research, the authors assess if and how HRN constructs and practices can guide analysis of SCR in dynamic, complex networks, and help shape development pathways towards organizing for resilience. Findings draw on thick description and iterative coding of data (58 interviews and 200+ documents) on the buyer network responsible for managing the supply of critical medical products in the Netherlands.

Findings

HRT highlights the interconnectedness of challenges encountered during COVID-19 and helps design future resilience through three lessons. Organizing for SCR requires (1) both anticipation and containment strategies, (2) stable working relationships characterized by trust, and (3) a clear basis of command underpinned by experience-based legitimacy.

Originality/value

Distinctive from SCR, which views crises as “black swans”, HRT organizes around everyday consideration of the risk of failure. Taking a buyer network perspective, the authors move beyond the buyer-supplier network focus in SCR. The authors contend that emphasis on measures such as supplier base management, stockpiling, and domestic production are essential but not sufficient. Rather, HRT implies that deep structural and social ties within the buyer network should also be emphasized.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 43 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

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