Showing papers on "Procurement published in 2006"

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Supply Chain: An Application in the Food Industry

Abstract: The food industry faces many significant risks from public criticism of corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues in the supply chain. This paper draws upon previous research and emerging industry trends to develop a comprehensive framework of supply chain CSR in the industry. The framework details unique CSR applications in the food supply chain including animal welfare, biotechnology, environment, fair trade, health and safety, and labor and human rights. General supply chain CSR issues such as community and procurement are also considered. Ultimately, the framework serves as a comprehensive tool to support food industry practitioners and researchers in the assessment of strategic and operational supply chain CSR practices.

Procuring Fast Delivery: Sole Sourcing with Information Asymmetry

Abstract: This paper studies a queuing model in which a buyer sources a good or service from a single supplier chosen from a pool of suppliers. The buyer seeks to minimize the sum of her procurement and operating costs, the latter of which depends on the suppliers lead time. The selected supplier can regulate his lead time, but faster lead times are costly. Although the buyer selects the supplier to source from (possibly via an auction) and dictates the contractual terms, the buyers bargaining power is limited by asymmetric information: The buyer only has an estimate of the suppliers costs, while the suppliers know their costs precisely. We identify a procurement mechanism that minimizes the buyers total cost (procurement plus operating). This mechanism is not simple: It is a numerically derived nonlinear menu of contracts. Therefore, we study several simpler mechanisms: e.g., one that charges a late fee and one that specifies a fixed lead-time requirement (no menus, no nonlinear functions). We find that simple mechanisms are nearly optimal (generally within 1 of optimal) because asymmetric information conveys significant protection to the supplier, i.e., the supplier is able to retain most of the benefit of having a lower cost. Renegotiation is another concern with the optimal mechanism: Because it does not minimize the supply chains cost, the firms can be both better off if they throw away the contract and start over. Interestingly, we find that the potential gain from renegotiation is relatively small with either the optimal or our simple mechanisms. We conclude that our simple mechanisms are quite attractive along all relevant dimensions: buyers performance, supply chain performance, simplicity, and robustness to renegotiation.

Supply Chain Management Best Practices

Abstract: Preface To The Second Edition Acknowledgments Part I Introduction To Supply Chain Management. CHAPTER 1 If Supply Chain is the Answer, Then What's the Question? Flashpoints. You Knew This Job Was Dangerous When You Took It. The Big Picture. The Supply Chain's Back Story. Roadblocks On The Supply Chain Path. Separating The Good From The Best. CHAPTER 2 Anatomy of a Supply Chain. Flashpoints. Aerospace: Changing The Game, For Better Or Worse. Automotive: Building Customer Loyalty For The Long Term. Chemicals: Finding The Right Supply Chain Formula. Consumer Packaged Goods: The Moment Of Truth. Food And Beverage: Cutting Out The Middleman. High-Tech/Electronics: Zero Latency. Pharmaceuticals: Fighting Counterfeiters With RFID. Retail: Customer Centricity. CHAPTER 3 Supply Chain Metrics: Measuring Up to High Standards. Flashpoints. How To Prevent A Supply Chain Heart Attack. What Makes A Supply Chain Leader? Measure Satisfaction. Everybody's Talking About Benchmarking. Do The Right Things. Supply Chain Checkup. Time For A Turnaround. Learn The SCOR. SCM For Dummies. Follow The Roadmap. Make It All Meaningful. Part II Traditional Core Processes Of Supply Chain Management. CHAPTER 4 Planning and Forecasting: Headed for the Future. Flashpoints. A Bias Against Good Plans. From Soup To S&OP. No Time Like The Real Time. The Truth Plays Out. End-To-End Integration. The First Shall Be First. Analyze This. A Happy Ending. CHAPTER 5 Procurement: Go Right to the Source. Flashpoints. Giving Procurement Its Due. Managing The Changes. Keep Your Friends Close And Your Suppliers Closer. Looking Backward To See Forward. Working For Every Penny. Ensuring A Healthy Supply Chain. The War On Complexity. It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time. An Online Car Wreck. A Rating Service For Buyers And Sellers. CHAPTER 6 Manufacturing: Supply Chain on the Make. Flashpoints. A Direct Line To Supply Chain Success. Better Decisions For The Customer. Tying It All Together. Digital Supply Chains. Collaborating On Product Designs. Nearly Perfect. The Future Of Manufacturing. CHAPTER 7 Transportation: Logistics a la Mode. Flashpoints. Riding The Roads. Regulations And Deregulation. Fuel For Thought. A Capacity For Change. Know Thyself, And Thy Carrier, Too. How To Achieve Sustainable Savings. Collaboration Is A Two-Way Street. A Carrier By Any Other Name. Automate To Consolidate. Get It There On Time. CHAPTER 8 Distribution and Warehousing: Going with the Flow. Flashpoints. Virtual Inventory. Cross-Docking, Compliance, And Collaboration. Handle With Care. Where The Rubber Meets The Load. Can You Hear Me Now? Wireless In The Warehouse. Turn, Turn, Turn. Half-Full Or Half-Empty? How To Better Manage Your Warehouse. CHAPTER 9 Site Selection: Location, Location, Location. Flashpoints. Striking The Proper Balance. A Site For Sore Eyes. Finding The Right Place. A Look At Gillette's Distribution Network. Cost Versus Service. Match Your Network To Your Business Strategy. How Much Is Too Much? Weighing The Intangibles. Quality Over Quantity. A Quick Guide To Site Selection. CHAPTER 10 Globalization: It's a Not-So-Small World. Flashpoints. Playing By Somebody Else's Rules. Develop A Global Vision. Friendly Nations. Low Cost Sometimes Means Poor Service . Living In A Somewhat Flat World. Keeping An Eye On China. Take A Look For Yourself. Finding The Next Global Hot Spot. The Need For Supply Chain Visibility. Closer To Home. CHAPTER 11 Customer Service: Keeping the Customer Satisfied. Flashpoints. The Perfect Order. The High Cost Of Imperfection. One Good Return Deserves Another. Supply Chain In Reverse. Managing The Relationship. Money In The Bank. Supply Chain At Your Service. A Culture Of Customer Satisfaction. Part III Supply Chain Strategies. CHAPTER 12 3PLs: When You'd Rather Not Do It Yourself. Flashpoints. A Shift To The Supply Chain Side. Letting Somebody Else Do It. Supply Chain Essentials And Nonessentials. Finding Your Core Competency. Square Pegs And Round Holes. Think Strategically. The Financial Impact Of Outsourcing. Staying In Touch. Going Beyond The 3PL Model. Outpacing The Competition. CHAPTER 13 Collaboration: Extending the Enterprise. Flashpoints. Mutually Beneficial Relationships. Winning Small Victories. Respecting Your Partners. A Better Way To Sell Mouthwash. A Nine-Step Program For CPFR. Great Expectations, So-So Results. More Reliability And Better Service. Challenges In Supplier Management. How To Get The Most Out of a Relationship. CHAPTER 14 Security: Seeking Shelter from Supply Chain Storms. Flashpoints. It'll Never Happen Here . Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. Getting Countries To Talk To Each Other. Sometimes Low-Tech Is As Good As High-Tech. Taking Responsibility For Your Supply Chain. Securing The Supply Chain. 10+2. Taking Steps Toward Effective Compliance. Supply Chains at Risk. An Investment Worth Making. CHAPTER 15 RFID: A Game of Tags. Flashpoints. The ABCs Of RFID Proactive Replenishment. In Search of Payback. Tagging till the Cows Come Home. Taking RFID Seriously. Work the Bugs Out. A Matter of Privacy. No Need to be Passive. CHAPTER 16 Green Supply Chains: It's Not Easy Going Green. Flashpoints. The Elephant In The Room. Justifying The Cost. Look For The Green Label. The Carbon Footprint of a Banana. Sustainability Throughout the Supply Chain. Good to Green. How Big Blue Went Green. Eco-Friendly Strategies. Low-Hanging Fruit. CHAPTER 17 Continuous Improvement: Lean on Me. Flashpoints. From Push to Pull. The Toyota Way. Don't Settle for Occasional Improvement. Lean Principles. Lean, Mean Flying Machine. The Value of Teamwork. Leaning In the Right Direction. CHAPTER 18 The Supply Chain Profession: What Keeps You Up at Night? Flashpoints. Talent Search. Hiring Problem Solvers. Training the Next Generation. Optimizing the Workforce. What Keeps You Up at Night? Gray Matters. The Secret to Supply Chain Success. Notes. About The Author. Index.

Developing New Forms of Partnership With the `Market¿ in the Procurement of Public Services

Abstract: This article provides a conceptual framework for understanding the key differences between newly emerging ‘market’ relationships and more traditional forms of procurement by public sector organizations. It highlights how multiple relationships between service clients in the public sector and other stakeholders mean that service clients may often co-produce welfare changes in their communities in ways which professional and commercial providers cannot easily control and may not fully understand. It highlights the very different nature of collaborations which affect single commissioners and contractors (relational contracting), multiple commissioning bodies with a unified procurement policy (partnership procurement) and multiple commissioning bodies with diverse procurement policies empowered by a single purchasing body (distributed commissioning). The article suggests that traditional conceptions of the ‘market’ and of ‘market management’ are now outdated and need to be revised to take into account the potential of collaborative relationships between multiple stakeholders in the public domain.

Is War Necessary for Economic Growth? Military Procurement and Technology Development

Abstract: Military and defence related procurement has been an important source of technology development across a broad spectrum of industries that account for an important share of United States industrial production. Changes in the structure of the defence industries and of the U.S. industrial economy make it unlikely that military and defence related procurement would again become an important source of revolutionary new technologies in the absence of a major war. Available in OSO: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/0195188047/toc.html

Critical factors that influence e-procurement implementation success in the public sector

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a literature survey developed to support a proposed model of the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) likely to impact the success of e-Procurement initiatives in the public sector. It identifies a number of relevant variables for each CSF and presents a model for future research. It also analyses the relative importance of different CSFs and observes that organization and management factors are the most important category for success of e-Procurement initiatives. If e-Procurement initiatives in the public sector are to assist the development of e-Procurement across the information economy, there should be wider discussion and agreement on what constitutes the relevant CSFs and how the achievement of success can be assessed.

Public procurement and EU tendering directives – explaining non‐compliance

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make a contribution to categorising explanations of non‐compliance of EU tendering directives and to report on a survey study to the impact of these reasons on compliance with the directives.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review resulted in a conceptual model and related hypotheses, pointing at four potential reasons for (non‐)compliance: the purchaser's familiarity with the rules, the perceived inefficiency, organisational incentives to comply, and the expected resistance and readiness of suppliers to take action in case of non‐compliance. The paper uses data from a survey among 147 responding purchasing professionals of the Dutch Ministry of Defence.Findings – The empirical findings indicate that both purchaser's familiarity with the rules and organisational incentives have a positive, statistically significant impact on compliance. Nor the alleged inefficiency of the directives, nor the expected supplier resistance seem to influence the compliance w...

Comparing procurement methods for design-build projects

Abstract: The design-build delivery method is increasingly used in the United States due to numerous advantages it can offer a project. An important issue associated with design-build delivery is the procurement method used to select the design-build team. It is a critical decision that involves several key project team members, including the owner, designer, and contractor organizations, and requires the owner to carefully choose the design-build procurement method that will be used to select the team that will deliver the project. This research quantitatively analyzed the correlation between the design-build procurement method and the performance of the design-build project with regard to cost, time, and quality metrics. The procurement methods studied were sole source, qualifications-based, best value, and low bid selection. Data were collected through surveys from 76 design-build projects in the United States. Based on the patterns and relationships identified from these data, a better understanding of the procurement process and how it influences project performance is achieved. The impact of project-specific factors and guidelines are presented to assist owners in selecting the design-build team procurement method that responds to their project goals.

An analytical framework for the management and reform of public procurement

Abstract: Public procurement frameworks in developed and developing countries alike are recognised as being characterised by an unstable tension between the public expectations of transparency and accountability, and of efficiency and effectiveness of resource management. This conformance - performance tension, manifest throughout a complex procurement environment, is further destabilised by conflicting stakeholder interests at the political, business, community and management levels and exacerbated by competing claims between executives, lawyers, technologists and politicians for lead roles in this arena. The application of new technology in this discipline offers a qualified potential to substantially resolve these tensions. However, the application of technology is itself at risk from a lack of understanding about the nature of its impact and the wider political dimensions of professionalism in public procurement.

Government procurement as a policy tool in south africa

Abstract: Prior to 1994, the government procurement system in South Africa favoured large and established businesses and it was very difficult for newly established business to enter the procurement system. In 1994, however, government procurement was granted constitutional status, and was recognised as a means of addressing past discriminatory policies and practices. This paper critically analyses the way in which provision has been made in legislation for the use of procurement as a policy tool. It is argued that the use of procurement as a policy tool in South Africa is justified. On the whole, the primary legislation dealing with the use of procurement as a policy tool offers an adequate effect to the constitutionally prescribed use of procurement as a policy tool.

Technological innovation in PPPs: incentives, opportunities and actions

Abstract: From a construction perspective, Public-Private Partnership projects (PPPs) are often credited as providing real incentives for the actors involved as well as a business environment that is conducive to innovation and improved practices. The validity of four common rhetorical arguments used to promote the PPP procurement route is explored: collaborative working, design freedom, long-term commitment and risk transfer. Particular interest is given to the extent to which espoused intentions correlate with experienced realities in allowing actors involved in the design and construction phases to be presented with, and able to exploit, opportunities for technological innovation. It is argued that there is reason to be cautious in fully accepting the purported benefits of the PPP framework and that the arguments often presented need to be revised. Alternative interpretations are provided.

Global Sourcing of Business and IT Services

Abstract: Customer and Supplier Learning on IT and Business Service Practices Managing 54 Processes in the Sourcing Life Cycle Retaining Nine Core Capabilities In-House Assessing Twelve Supplier Capabilities The Winner's Curse in IT Outsourcing: The Case of Esso Outsourcing Human Resources: The Case of BAE Systems Outsourcing Indirect Procurement: The Case of BAE Systems Managing Knowledge When Outsourcing: Cases in Financial Services Offshoring of IT Work: 20 Practices How Corporations E-Source Application Service Provision and Risk Mitigation The Future of Global Sourcing: Twelve Emerging Trends Workbook Section: Readings and Assignments

Bidding for incomplete contracts: an empirical analysis

Abstract: Procurement contracts are often incomplete because the initial plans and specifications are changed and refined after the contract is awarded to the lowest bidder. This results in a final cost to the buyer that differs from the low bid, and may also involve significant adaptation and renegotiation costs. We propose a stylized model of bidding for incomplete contracts and apply it to data from highway paving contracts. Reduced form regressions suggest that bidders respond strategically to contractual incompleteness and that adaptation costs, broadly defined, are an important determinant of the observed bids. We then estimate the costs of adaptation and bidder markups using a structural auction model. The estimates suggest that adaptation costs on average account for about ten percent of the winning bid. The distortions from private information and local market power, which are the focus on much of the literature on optimal procurement mechanisms, are much smaller by comparison.

The hurdle analysis. A self‐evaluation tool for municipalities to identify, analyse and overcome hurdles to green procurement

Abstract: It has been known for years that green public procurement can stimulate innovation. Even so, all initiatives to promote it have not sufficiently changed the procurement process in municipalities so far. What are the reasons for this? This article presents on the one hand the search for possible reasons – so-called hurdles – with the help of hurdle analysis, and on the other hand a self-evaluation tool for municipalities to identify, analyse and overcome hurdles to green procurement. Hence the hurdle analysis offers a questionnaire to identify hurdles, three assessment methods and a workshop to generate strategies to deal with the most relevant hurdles. With the self-evaluation tool every municipality will be enabled to accomplish such an analysis and to identify key persons and decision elements within its procurement process, as well as fixing responsibilities and generating solutions on their own. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

The context of innovation management in construction firms

Abstract: Conscious management of innovation in construction firms is becoming more and more a necessity. However, the possibilities and ways to successfully put an innovative idea into practice depend on a range of contingencies. A framework of innovation management was devised to structure the context variables of construction innovation. Furthermore, an analytical approach was developed to enable researchers as well as construction managers to detect those variables which should be considered for managing construction innovation. The application of the approach to the case of a Swiss contractor revealed dependency on client and location, procurement form, innovation acceptance of the client and regulation degree as significant variables of the external environment. Service offer, knowledge strength, cooperative behaviour, financial strength and time needs were identified as critical variables of the internal environment. The implications are that the management of construction firms should advocate innovative ideas explicitly, make conscious strategic decisions about the direction of the firm’s innovation activity and provide methodical and hierarchical support during the innovation process. Establishing internal innovation brokers and using portfolio-based project checkpoints are supportive measures in this regard.

Model for Financial Renegotiation in Public-Private Partnership Projects and Its Policy Implications: Game Theoretic View

Abstract: Today, government is no longer considered the sole provider of public works or services. Public-private partnership (PPP) has been recognized as an important approach to solving problems for governments in providing infrastructure systems. However, the joint ownership or partnership in PPP complicates the administration of PPP projects. Too often, in PPP, many serious problems occur mainly because of bad administration policies. In particular, the fact that government may rescue a distressed project and renegotiate with the developer causes major problems in project procurement and management. This paper aims to study when and how government will rescue a distressed project and what impacts government's rescue behavior has on project procurement and management. A game-theory based model for government rescue dynamics is developed. Propositions, corollaries, and important policy implications are then derived from the model. This pilot study, the writer hopes, may provide theoretic foundations to policy makers for prescribing effective PPP procurement and management policies and for examining the quality of PPP policies. The study can also offer researchers a framework and a methodology to understand the behavioral dynamics of the parties in PPP.

IT OFFSHORING: History, Prospects and Challenges

Abstract: e Abstract Offshore provision of IS/IT related services has been growing rapidly in recent years and seems firmly set to continue. This trend is fueled by the many advantages of offshore service procurement; however, there are dangers in this practice. Furthermore, offshoring requires adaptation of the IS function and IS management. This, in turn suggests the need for modifications of IS curricula in order to prepare graduates for the new environment. The advantages of offshoring are those of outsourcing in general - cost saving and allowing the organization to focus on its core activities. The main dangers include loss of possibly-important business skills and reliance on remote suppliers who face risks that are unfamiliar to the client firm. The loss of jobs due to offshoring also introduces political considerations. Offshore IS activities are generally the responsibility of an organization's CIO. This management responsibility requires awareness of cultural and legal differences and of risks associated with offshoring and outsourcing in general. Offshoring has an effect on job opportunities for graduates of

Incorporating software agents into supply chains: experimental investigation with a procurement task

Abstract: Recently, researchers have begun investigating an emerging, technology-enabled innovation that involves the use of intelligent software agents in enterprise supply chains. Software agents combine and integrate capabilities of several information technology classes in a novel manner that enables supply chain management and decision making in modes not supported previously by IT and not reported previously in the information systems literature. Indeed, federations and swarms of software agents today are moving the boundaries of computer-aided decision making more generally. Such moving boundaries highlight promising new opportunities for competitive advantage in business, in addition to novel theoretical insights. But they also call for shifting research thrusts in information systems. The stream of research associated with this article is taking some first steps to address such issues by examining experimentally the capabilities, limitations, and boundaries of agent technology for computer-based decision support and automation in the procurement domain. Procurement represents an area of particular potential for agent-based process innovation, as well as reflecting some of the greatest technological advances in terms of agents emerging from the laboratory. Procurement is imbued with considerable ambiguity in its task environment, ambiguity that presents a fundamental limitation to IT-based automation of decision making and knowledge work. By investigating the comparative performance of human and software agents across varying levels of ambiguity in the procurement domain, the experimentation described in this article helps to elucidate some new boundaries of computer-based decision making quite broadly. We seek in particular to learn from this domain and to help inform computer-based decision making, agent technological design, and IS research more generally.

A method of digital good placement in a dynamic, real time environment

Abstract: A method and system for advertising selection, placement management, payment and delivery in a dynamic, real-time environment wherein the production, listing, procurement, payment, real time management, re-allocation and financial settlement of all types of digital advertising mediums, with optional automated delivery for advertisement and messaging for such ads is performed. The planning, purchasing, delivery and payment for on-line and traditional media advertising is automated, standardized and tracked across multiple mediums, such as TV, Internet, satellite, radio, wireless telephone, outdoor screens, and other digital mediums that display dynamic content. As a result, transparency and discovery of price, performance and availability segmented by specific markets and customer profiles for specific products is achieved. A buyer/seller real time feedback is provided to allow both buyers and sellers to dynamically change existing ads, ad space, prices, etc, in a real time environment based on real time sale/conversion feedback.

Handbook of Procurement

Abstract: List of figures List of tables Part I. Preliminaries: 1. Introduction Nicola Dimitri, Gustavo Piga and Giancarlo Spagnolo 2. The variety of procurement practice: evidence from public procurement Laura Carpineti, Gustavo Piga and Matteo Zanza Part II. General Strategic Principles: 3. When should procurement be centralized? Federico Dini, Nicola Dimitri and Gustavo Piga 4. Procurement contracting strategies Gian Luigi Albano, Giacomo Calzolari, Federico Dini, Elisabetta Iossa and Giancarlo Spagnolo 5. Incentives and award procedures: competitive tendering vs. negotiations in procurement Patrick Bajari and Steven Tadelis Part III. Competitive Tendering Strategies: 6. Information and competitive tendering Gian Luigi Albano, Nicola Dimitri, Riccardo Pacini and Giancarlo Spagnolo 7. Division in lots and competition in procurement Veronika Grimm, Riccardo Pacini, Giancarlo Spagnolo and Matteo Zanza 8. Multi-contract tendering procedures and package bidding in procurement Nicola Dimitri, Riccardo Pacini, Marco Pagnozzi and Giancarlo Spagnolo 9. Innovative dynamic auctions in procurement Lawrence Ausubel and Peter Cramton Part IV. Attracting and Screening Participants: 10. Business strategies for e-procurement (B2B) platforms Bruno Jullien 11. Fostering participation Gian Luigi Albano, Nicola Dimitri, Isabelle Perrigne and Gustavo Piga 12. Scoring rules Federico Dini, Riccardo Pacini and Tommaso Valletti 13. Managing risky bids Andreas Engel, Juan Jose Ganuza, Esther Hauk and Achim Wambach Part V. Preventing Collusion and Corruption: 14. Preventing collusion in procurement Gian Luigi Albano, Paolo Buccirossi, Giancarlo Spagnolo and Matteo Zanza 15. Bidding rings and the design of anti-collusive measures for auctions and procurement William E. Kovacic, Robert C. Marshall, Leslie M. Marx and Matthew E. Raiff 16. Preventing corruption in procurement Yvan Lengwiler and Elmar Wolfstetter Part VI. Dynamic Forces and Innovation: 17. Managing dynamic procurement Tracy R. Lewis and Huseyin Yildirim 18. Designing feedback mechanisms for e-procurement platforms Chrysanthos Dellarocas, Federico Dini and Giancarlo Spagnolo 19. Procurement and innovation Luis Cabral, Guido Cozzi, Vincenzo Denicol-, Gustavo Piga, Giancarlo Spagnolo and Matteo Zanza.

Public procurement of consulting services: Evidence and comparison with private companies

Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this paper is to shed light on the procurement process of consulting services within the public sector and to benchmark the obtained results with practices in the private sector.Design/methodology/approach – A two‐stage research design has been used. First, in‐depth personal interviews were conducted with six users of consulting services. The second stage involved a cross‐sectional survey of purchasers of a broad range of business advisory services. This included private as well as public purchasers.Findings – It was found that the procurement process of consulting services in the public sector differs significantly from that of private companies. Further analyses indicate that purchasers from public and private organizations are equally satisfied with the results of consulting services.Research limitations/implications – The results of the study indicate that public sector organizations may need to develop new buying skills in market management, specification, competitive process, ne...

Ex ante construction costs in the European road sector: a comparison of public-private partnerships and traditional public procurement

Abstract: Disclaimer: This Economic and Financial Report should not be reported as representing the views of the EIB. The views expressed in this EFR are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the EIB or EIB policy. EFRs describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and further debate.

Taking forward public procurement reforms in Ghana

Abstract: The construction industry in Ghana, like many others worldwide, has had its fair share of damning independent reviews. Huge and unsustainable foreign debt, excessive budget deficits, huge contractual payment arrears, poor construction performance, corruption and pressure from international financial institutions, forced the government to commit to a reform of public procurement, which culminated in the passing of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663). The paper outlines the events leading to, and features of, the public procurement reform in Ghana and analyses its potential impact and the unique challenges it presents. Comparisons are also drawn from relevant scenarios in other countries. The paper concludes that while the Procurement Act sets out the legal, institutional and regulatory framework to secure fiscal transparency and public accountability, the sole reliance on traditional contracting and price-based selection limits the scope for the value for money achievable. Expanding the reforms to cover procurement and project delivery methods and strategies, with a focus on ‘best value’, will increase the potential and likelihood of achieving value for money in public construction in Ghana.

System, program product, and methods for managing contract procurement

Abstract: A system (30) to facilitate contract procurement and contract management through an online contract procurement and management web site over a computer network (33), program product (71 ), and associated methods are provided. The system (30) includes an electronic contracting network server (35) accessible to a computer network (33), a database (41 ) accessible to the electronic contracting network server (35) through the computer network (33), a plurality of electronic contracting entity member user computers (47) in communication with electronic contracting network server (35) through the computer network (33), and a plurality of potential contractor member user computers (61) also in communication with the electronic contracting network server (35) through the computer network (33). The system (30) also includes an electronic contracting program product (71) stored at least partially in memory (39) of the electronic contracting network server (35) and position to perform various automated contract procurement and contract management functions.