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Public procurement has been recognized as a tool to promote more sustainable production and consumption practices. As such, an increasing body of literature has become available in recent years focusing on the sustainable public procurement of food. This article reviews the literature on the sustainable public procurement of food with the aim to analyze how sustainability is framed. This is done by analyzing what aspects of sustainability are emphasized and what practices are identified as sustainable. A systematic literature review was conducted between the years 2000 and 2020, identifying 103 articles. Results from the literature review indicate that the focus has primarily been on studies to evaluate and explore policy and good practices for procuring sustainable foods. A dominant focus on specific foods types and origins, e.g., those locally sourced and organic foods, is highlighted by a large share of the literature to address all three sustainability pillars. We observed that most articles focus on all three pillars of sustainability (environmental, social, and economic), addressing different aspects and types of foods, although the focus varied depending upon geographic location. Despite many studies identifying opportunities and potential, few articles assess the sustainability or outcomes of procurement processes through quantitative or qualitative methods or how actors in the procurement process can improve procurement toward more sustainable foods. This indicates a need for further case studies and guidelines to measure the development, progress, and performance of public food procurement.

This paper proposes a bibliometric analysis of specialized literature related to green public procurement (GPP) and aims to identify thematic developments, significant contributions, and the main research directions in this field. GPP is a process whereby public authorities seek to procure goods, services, and works with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle. The bibliometric analysis is conducted using 842 publications indexed in the Web of Science databases, applying rigorous selection criteria and utilizing specialized tools such as CiteSpace and Bibliometrix. The study involves the work of 5016 authors (Appolloni A. – the most productive author), affiliated with 200 research institutions (Tor Vergata University – the most productive university) from 121 countries (China – the largest number of publications). The results indicate the most collaborative authors in GPP (Appolloni A., Testa F.), the most co-cited papers (Brammer S. 2011, Walker H. 2009), but also the most used topics (green public procurement, sustainable procurement), respectively the most current topics of interest (green innovation, supply chain management). Although research in the field of GPP is in a consolidation phase, scientific interest is growing, and the integration of green aspects into public procurement policies is becoming increasingly frequent at the international level.

Public organisations develop sustainable public procurement (SPP) policies to compel suppliers to contribute to societal goals. Studies show that the ability, motivation, and opportunity that procurers have to procure in a sustainable manner affect the uptake of SPP. Most studies into SPP examine these factors only in the context of one type of SPP (e.g., green procurement). The goal of this paper is therefore to examine the relationship between ability, motivation, and opportunity and six types of SPP: (1) green public procurement, (2) social return on investment, (3) circular economy, (4) bio-based public procurement, (5) innovation-oriented public procurement and (6) international social criteria. An online survey was administered amongst procurers working in Dutch public organisations. The research shows that ability, motivation, and opportunity affect Green Public Procurement (GPP). Opportunity did affect green public procurement, innovation-oriented public procurement and circular economy, but not the other types of SPP. We were unable to identify an antecedent of more social types of SPP in this research. This research shows that findings based on GPP cannot be directly generalized to other types of SPP, and that there is a need for research into the antecedents of social types of SPP.

Purpose This paper examines the role of government procurement as a social policy mechanism within a multilateral open trading system. Government regulations globally are being transformed to foster more responsible business conduct in multinational enterprises (MNEs). Yet, concern that sustainability may present a discriminatory barrier to trade has stalled the progress of sustainable public procurement (SPP) at the international level, raising questions regarding the role and scope of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) to align taxpayer-funded contracts with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. Design/methodology/approach With a focus on social sustainability, this paper reviews the grey and academic literature to assess the changing landscape of public procurement policy and supply chain legislation in high-income countries. Findings Frontrunner nations are adopting a mandatory approach to sustainable public procurement and due diligence legislation is elevating supply chain risk from reputational damage to legal liability. While technological innovation and the clean, green production of manufactured goods dominates the sustainable public procurement literature, the social aspects of sustainability poverty, inequality and human rights remain underrepresented. Research limitations/implications The scope of this paper is limited to the examination of government procurement covered by the WTO-GPA (2012). Smaller value contracts, under the WTO-GPA thresholds and the category of defence are beyond the scope of the paper. Social implications The paper focusses on the underserved topic of social sustainability in business-to-government (B2G) – business to government – supply chains arguing that for responsible business conduct to become a competitive advantage, it must be more meaningfully rewarded on the demand-side of all taxpayer-funded contracts in organisation for economic co-operation and development countries. The paper introduces the idea of priceless procurement as a mechanism to build system capacity in the evaluation of non-financial sustainability objectives. Originality/value To build the capacity to stimulate competition based on social and environmental policy objectives, the paper introduces the concept of priceless procurement in B2G contracts.

Purpose: This study sought to assess the efficacy of bid disputes management mechanism in Kenya.   Theoretical Framework: Transparency in public procurement proceedings is a concern for most stakeholders. Allowing aggrieved bidders to challenge decisions of procuring entities is considered a critical development in the space of public procurement. The effectiveness and efficiency of bid disputes management mechanism should therefore be a concern for procuring entities, bidders, and development partners especially. This aspect is yet to be explored extensively in Africa.   Design/Methodology/Approach: The Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS) as propagated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) helps evaluate the quality of public procurement systems and subsequently strategize on necessary reforms. This study applied MAPS to assess the efficacy of the bid disputes management mechanism in Kenya.   Findings: It was established that overall, the public procurement bid dispute management mechanism in Kenya was effective and efficient. However, shortcomings were noted concerning resourcing of Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB), unaffordable filing fees and accessibility of comprehensive, simple, and clear information on filing procedures.   Research, Practical and Social Implications: The findings of this study offer policy recommendations that will help promote effective and efficient management of public procurement bid disputes.   Originality/Value: The results of this study contribute to theory, practice and literature in the field of public procurement which is less researched in the Eastern Africa Region. The findings of the study can be replicated in countries that have based their procurement reforms on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Public Procurement. It is to be appreciated that application of MAPS indicators allows for subjective judgments by the assessor.

Although female entrepreneurship is a rapidly growing global phenomenon, contributions specifically in the field of public procurement are rare. This study helps to fill this gap by examining the factors that hinder and stimulate female-owned businesses’ access to public procurement markets in an African country, specifically Mali. The study draws on resource-based view (RBV) theory and gendered entrepreneurship theory. The results obtained using mixed methodology reveal several barriers, three of which are particularly significant: lack of knowledge of public procurement strategies and rules, socio-cultural prejudices, and lack of financial resources and skilled human resources. The results also reveal stimulating factors such as gender-sensitive public procurement, even though these new practices are still limited in the Malian context. The article is aimed at women entrepreneurs and public decision-makers with a view to creating a more inclusive entrepreneurial environment in Mali and globally. It is unique in the context of African countries, as it highlights the influential role of women entrepreneurs in shaping the local and even global public procurement ecosystem. It proposes relevant solutions at both the local and global levels.

Much has already been written about secondary policies, and then promoted to horizontal and now almost on a par with the primary objective of public procurement-competition. It should be noted that European jurisprudence, followed by the Public Procurement Directives, has always limited the use of public procurement as a vehicle for the promotion of environmental, social and sustainable development policies, which has recently become increasingly emphasised with the transition from linear to circular economy. For reasons linked to the cross-cutting nature of environmental policies and the national economic connection of social policies, the former are more suited for harmonising member states’ legal systems. As a result, the promotion of the social impact of public procurement is often limited to matters in which the European Union legislates —the labour feld— or to the more primary dimensions of constitutionality associated with the principle of equality and Human Rights. Our re?ection therefore aims to go beyond what European case law and directives enshrine and recognise, asking whether environmental policies might contribute to social sustainability as well. We will try to prove this by presenting practical examples. The cases presented, as a method, are meant to be a “proof of concept”. Ya se ha escrito mucho sobre las políticas secundarias, luego promovidas a horizontales y ahora casi a la par con el objetivo primario de la contratación pública: la competencia. Hay que tener en cuenta que la jurisprudencia europea, seguida por las directivas de contratación pública, siempre ha limitado el uso de la contratación pública como vehículo para la promoción de políticas medioambientales, sociales y de desarrollo sostenible, lo que recientemente se ha acentuado con la transición de la economía lineal a la economía circular. Por razones vinculadas al carácter transversal de las políticas medioambientales y a la conexión económica nacional de las políticas sociales, las primeras se prestan más a la armonización de los ordenamientos jurídicos de los Estados miembros. En consecuencia, la promoción del impacto social de la contratación pública suele limitarse a las materias en las que la Unión Europea realmente legisla: el ámbito laboral. O a las dimensiones más primarias de la constitucionalidad asociadas al principio de igualdad y a los derechos humanos. Por ello, la reflexión pretende ir un paso más allá de lo que la jurisprudencia y las directivas europeas consagran y reconocen, planteándonos si las políticas medioambientales no podrían contribuir también a la sostenibilidad social. Intentaremos lograrlo presentando ejemplos prácticos. Los casos presentados, como método, pretenden ser una “prueba de concepto”.

Strategic objectives in public procurement, such as environmental or social considerations, are being increasingly referred to under the umbrella term of sustainable public procurement (SPP). The concept of sustainability is intrinsically multidimensional, encompassing environmental, social, and economic aspects. However, the existing literature on SPP highlights the generalization that the regulation and practices of public procurement are biased toward the environmental dimension. There is conflicting evidence from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that calls for further investigation. Analyzing how SPP is actually constituted in SSA and contrasting it with the situation in the European Union (EU), as a spotlight on the Global South and North, contributes to a better understanding of sustainability in public procurement. The comparative analysis will help with understanding processes related to the integration or disintegration of sustainability dimensions in SPP. Our results indicate a contrary orientation on the environmental and the social dimensions in the EU and SSA. Although there is no sign of a comprehensive integration of all dimensions in SPP, there are developments toward the integration of the ‘missing’ dimension in the respective regional setting. Thus, at the moment, achieving a multidimensional implementation of SPP appears to be more a matter of expanding SPP practices of the ‘missing’ dimension than of pushing for integrated concepts.

Purpose Scaling up smart city infrastructure projects will require a large financial investment. Using public–private partnerships is one of the most effective ways to address budget constraints. Numerous factors have varying degrees of influence on the performance of Public private partnerships (PPP) projects; certain PPP factors are more crucial to the success of a smart city infrastructure project than others, and their influence can be greatly increased when they are fulfilled collectively. This study aims to find out what factors are unique to smart city PPP initiatives, as well as how these factors work together, so that successful smart city infrastructure PPP projects can be scaled up. Design/methodology/approach The methodology included three sequential stages: identifying the critical success factors (CSF) of PPP for smart cities based on an extensive literature review, collecting data from a sample of 90 PPP practitioners using a Likert scale questionnaire and estimating interrelationships among the CSF and their emergent clusters using structural equation modelling. Findings The best fit model developed in this study demonstrated the significance of each factor and their interrelationships within their categories in enhancing the performance of PPPs in smart city infrastructure projects. Five categories of critical success factors for PPPs in smart city infrastructure projects have been established: partnership and collaboration; financial sustainability; contractual duties and outsourcing; smart integration; and contract governance. Practical implications The proposed model represented the causal interrelationships among relevant critical success factors derived from literature, which may help in directing the organization’s attention and resources to more critical areas, leading to the effective fulfilment of the smart city infrastructure project’s objectives. In addition to the theoretical and methodological contributions, this study produced a usable and readily adaptable list and clusters of critical success factors for research in the area of the implementation of PPP in smart city infrastructure projects. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to identify PPP critical success factors and their themed clusters for smart city infrastructure projects.