Data Shows Significant Drop in Government IT Services Spending Post COVID-19
Jun 26, 2020
Federal and central governments across the globe have shifted spending priorities to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, with notable declines in IT spending worldwide, according to a new report. The report notes the COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes for every sector but argues “the health crisis is...
Online tools for SMEs and public sector to better adopt renewable energy sources
Jun 26, 2020
As green public procurement will play a key role in the EU’s efforts to become a more resource-efficient economy, an EU-funded initiative has introduced a search engine and a repository to gather data, share information, and match the needs of public procurers and SMEs in embracing renewable...
Making socially responsible public procurement work
Jun 26, 2020
Socially responsible public procurement (SRPP) is about achieving positive social outcomes in public contracts. Procurement affects a large number of people, whether as users of public services, those involved in production and delivery, or staff of the buying organisation. Beyond those directly...
Exploring blockchain-based public procurement to reduce corruption
Jun 18, 2020
In partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Office of the Inspector General of Colombia (Procuraduría General de Colombia), the World Economic Forum has led a multi-stakeholder team to investigate, design and trial the use of blockchain technology for corruption-prone...
Guidelines for AI procurement
Jun 11, 2020
Recognising that AI has the potential to greatly improve public services by reducing costs, enhancing quality and freeing up valuable time, UK.Gov has published a summary of best practice addressing specific challenges of acquiring Artificial Intelligence technologies in government. These new...
Could a more dynamic model be used over Central Purchasing Bodies?
May 28, 2020
Albert Sanchez-Graells from the University of Bristol – School of Law, has just released his recent paper ‘Public Procurement by Central Purchasing Bodies, Competition and SMEs: Towards a More Dynamic Model?’ He writes that while the creation of central purchasing bodies (CPBs) sought to...
Buying responsible technology in government
May 28, 2020
A new report ‘Buying better technology in government,’ has been produced by think tank Doteveryone – which was founded by Martha Lane Fox, the digital entrepreneur who helped set up the UK Government Digital Service (GDS) in 2011. It argues that civil service organisations should improve...
Transparency International Romania demands information on state of emergency procurements to be made public
May 21, 2020
In a release issued earlier this week Transparency International Romania says “Given the many questions and suspicions raised both in the country and internationally about the award of various contracts with public funds under the pretext of the state of emergency, Transparency International...
Austria: Legal guide on public contracting in light of the COVID-19 pandemic – and other countries
May 21, 2020
Global Compliance News reports that the current climate surrounding the COVID-19 crisis requires a significant level of flexibility in contractual relationships. To provide flexibility, the public procurement process has been accelerated to help reduce deadlines for submission request. Permitting...
Covid-19: lessons from Italy on public-private healthcare procurement
May 14, 2020
An article from the collaboration between The European Sting with the World Economic Forum explains how the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown into sharp focus the shortcomings of public-private healthcare procurement systems. This crisis presents an opportunity to learn and to reshape these systems...
Covid-19 spearheads digital transformation in the public sector
May 14, 2020
The need for rapid response to the COVID-19 crisis has caused many departments to accelerate changes and deliver them in a matter of hours and days, which might have taken years to deliver in normal circumstances. During lockdown, when we have borne witness to an unprecedented surge in remote...
New tracker highlights the issue of B2B late payment across the UK and Europe during Covid-19
May 14, 2020
Small businesses are struggling with debt during the pandemic. Across Europe, businesses are facing insolvency due to declines in revenue and delayed payment. One UK report argues a fifth of SMEs in the UK will collapse due to a lack of cash because of Covid-19. Separate research by the...
Perspectives and Insights
We have some other written articles around the issues of lots and lotting (splitting up their contract requirements into smaller contracts), and …
One major trend over the past twenty years in public procurement has been the greater centralization of procurement activity. Conceptually and practically, collaborative procurement is …
Think you know all about public sector owned professional buying organisations (PBOs) and what they do? Here are ten interesting facts that might just surprise …
Policies and Regulations
A few months back, we published several articles about the very interesting – and somewhat shocking – court case around the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning …
The Procurement of Innovation Platform aims to make public procurement of innovation a widespread reality in Europe. The Platform has been developed to help public …
Why Evaluation in Public Procurement is Important If the phrase “bid evaluation” makes you cringe, don’t worry: you’re not alone. If …