Global Public Procurement Theories and Practices

This book discusses current theories and practices in the field of public procurement. Over the past few decades, public procurement has had to evolve conceptually and organizationally in the face of unrelenting budget constraints, government downsizing, public demand for increased transparency in public procurement, as well as greater concerns about efficiency, fairness and equity. Procurement professionals have also had to deal with a changeable climate produced by emerging technology, environmental concerns, and tension between complex regional trade agreements and national socioeconomic goals. This volume presents sixteen case studies focusing on the themes of public procurement as a policy tool and performance-based public procurement. The first section discusses public procurement as a policy tool and the challenges involved in balancing the competing interests of market forces, legal requirements, political pressures, and environmental concerns. The second section discusses performance-based public procurement, highlighting the frameworks used to assess procurement systems, the gaps between policy and practice, and strategies for bridging those gaps. The final section of the book discusses current issues in procurement, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, risk mitigation, and procurement as a profession. By combining theory and analysis with evidence from the real world, this book is of equal use to academics, policy makers, and procurement professionals.

Khi V. Thai (ed.) has taught since 1978. His expertise is in public budgeting, financial management and public procurement. He is: (1) editor of 3 academic journals; (2) Editorial Board member of 8 other academic journals; (3) author or editor of 12 books; (4) author or co-author of 41 referred articles, and 12 non-refereed articles and technical reports; (5) author or co-author of 22 book chapters; (6) editor or co-editor of 17 academic journal symposia; and (6) principal investigator of numerous grants/contracts. In addition, he has served as director of the Bureau of Public Administration at the University of Maine, Director of the School of Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University, and founder and former Director of the Public Procurement Research Center at Florida Atlantic University. He organized a variety of training programs, particularly international training programs. Most recently, he has provided technical assistance to the South Florida Water Management District, the Government of Sierra Leone, Uganda, Bulgaria, Columbia, the Federal Government of Canada, United Nations, and Inter-American Development, in the area of procurement reforms, procurement integrity and international procurement.