Monitoring Public Procurement Using a Fuzzy Logic System

Abstract

The problem of monitoring public procurement is a vital issue, especially in the European Union (EU), where the free movement of goods is finally established by the "Single European Act". A monitoring system that could be applied after public procurement contracts have been awarded, would examine and identify the existence both, of corruption and of "buy national" policies and practices (i.e. policies favouring domestic suppliers). In this article, the use of a fuzzy logic system as a monitoring mechanism for public procurement is proposed. Using this system, national or EU surveillance authorities can sort the contractors in a series of categories, identifying the degree of their efficiency. The design and implementation of the proposed fuzzy logic system is presented, followed by demonstrative examples of its operation. This system, which applies mainly to goods and services, can also be used as a decision support system at the stage of the selection process, assisting the choice of the best contractor.