Can public procurement be strategic? A future agenda proposition

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to demonstrate how public procurement can be strategic. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted following the protocol from Pagani, Kovaleski and Resende (2015), called Methodi Ordinatio, to select the relevant literature on this topic. The analysis of papers selected was carried out following the procedures of categorical content analysis (Bardin, 1977). Findings In all, 68 full papers were analyzed from Science Direct and Web of Science. The results present the main characteristics of publications analyzed and the authors propose some categories of strategic practices related to public procurement that are in turn related to: sustainability, partnerships and supplier management, information systems and technology and other issues. Research limitations/implications The main limitations of this paper are: the publication period considered of the articles selected is from January 2012 to March 2017; the databases Science Direct and Web of Science are selected as the sources of articles; the Methodi Ordinatio is used as the basic protocol of the SLR and, consequently, the inclusion and exclusion criteria described in the steps of the protocol are used. Practical implications Showing how the public procurement can be strategic, this paper highlights the benefits of best procurement practices; similarly, it highlights those practices adopted by the private sector, which can highly contribute to the creation of value in public services that are aligned with the concept of obtaining “the best value for money”. Social implications The incorporation of strategic practices in public procurement can result in the best expenditure of public resources and the reduction of corruption in the process of procurement. Originality/value This paper contributes to synthesize the knowledge on strategic procurement, a topic exploited by few people in the public organizations. It differentiates from other literature reviews already published, considering that these studies do not deal, specifically, with public procurement and, also, do not use protocols of SLR. Moreover, this paper indicates a future agenda of research, which can aid researchers and practitioners acting in this field of knowledge.

Stakeholders’ categorization of the sustainable public procurement system: the case of Brazil

“…Thus, in addition to considering the demands promoted by government stakeholders, they deal with internal stakeholders' interests (intra-organizational) (Teixeira, 2013), managing a varied set of demands, for example, high administration, general managers, suppliers and public servants. Thus, some aspects, such as the support of managers to the practice of the SPP, the planning, the structure of the purchases and the cost of sustainable procurement are important factors to be managed (Brammer and Walker, 2011;Steurer et al, 2007; ICLEI -Local Governments for Sustainability [ICLEI], 2007;Guarnieri and Gomes, 2019).…”

“…The SPP involves a specific decision-making process, whose steps cover different stakeholders, facilitators or those who make the process difficult for decision-making at government, strategic and operational level (Gunther and Scheibe, 2006;Steurer et al, 2007;Guarnieri and Gomes, 2019). It is therefore important that public managers identify those stakeholders and manage them appropriately.…”

Environmentally Responsible Behavior and Sustainability Policy Adoption in Green Public Procurement

“…Governments attempt to react to growing urgencies to carry out goals satisfactorily and affordably, and competition generally results in objective, optimal outcomes [5]. The integration of strategic patterns in public procurement may lead to the exemplary costs of public resources and the decrease of corruption in the operation of procurement [6]. Procurement regimes display a significant responsiveness to issues regarding the adoption of public purchase to promote labor rights protection worldwide.…”

Planning for Public Procurement

“…The planning phase is part of the pre-award phase, and precedes selection and award (contract execution) activities, contract administration, and contract close-out. Guarnieri and Gomes (2019) also include "selection of suppliers, certification and qualification" (p. 313) as part of the planning phase in strategic procurement. Expending due time and resources in the planning phase to make wise procurement decisions is necessary to avoid costly mistakes.…”