Explore the vast range of titles available.

Measuring high-level corruption is subject to extensive scholarly and policy interest, which has achieved moderate progress in the last decade. This article develops two objective proxy measures of high-level corruption in public procurement: single bidding in competitive markets and a composite score of tendering ‘red flags’. Using official government data on 2.8 million contracts in twenty-eight European countries in 2009–14, we directly operationalize a common definition of corruption: unjustified restriction of access to public contracts to favour a selected bidder. Corruption indicators are calculated at the contract level, but produce aggregate indices consistent with well-established country-level indicators, and are also validated by micro-level tests. Data are published at http://digiwhist.eu/resources/data/.

The South African Local Government (SALG) uses the tendering system to procure goods and services. Some of these tendering projects are aimed at promoting socio-economic and industrial policies. Hence, the tendering system used by SALG should be fair, transparent, competitive, cost-effective, equitable, and free from corruption. However, the mismanagement of the tendering system might lead to interruption of operations, late service delivery, rising costs, and most importantly, fraud and corruption. The use of paperwork to share project information might lead to the mismanagement of the tendering project because it might contribute towards illicit altering of project information during the process. The purpose of this study is to develop a Blockchain prototype that might be used to securely share project information with all the parties interested in the tendering project. It is recommended that the adoption of the proposed solution will enable various organisations to have access to real-time data, allowing them to have access to the entire project history regardless of their geographical location. Access to real-time data would promote real-time auditing and digital forensic investigations because both auditors and investigators will have access to credible digital evidence or project information of their interest in real-time.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the transaction cost (TC) contractors incur when tendering for a project as well as establish a correlation between the TC of tender and tender amount of projects procured through the national competitive bidding procurement method.Design/methodology/approachThe research draws extensively documentary analysis, observation and interviews to collect cost data on 14 different tenders submitted by a D1/K1 contractor. Using TC theory, the data are analyzed and the actual cost is determined. Further, Spearman rank correlation is employed to establish a relationship between tender price (TP) and the cost of tender by the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences.FindingsThe research developed a tender preparation conceptual framework highlighting the components of TC in competitive tendering in Ghana and also revealed that, apart from the emotional and psychological costs, contractors in Ghana incur approximately Gh₵ 4,625 (US $ 925)–Gh₵ 2,520 (US$504) to prepare and submit a competitive tender. In relation to the tender figure, the TC of tender in Ghana ranges from 0.05% to 0.65% and an average of 0.33%. Also, there is an inverse correlation between TP and the percentage cost of tender.Research limitations/implicationsThe research relied on 14 competitive tenders and also limited to public sector works. Findings from the study should therefore be applied with caution.Originality/valueThis study is the only known research that has focused on assessing the TC of public sector competitive tendering from a contractor's perspective and within a developing sub-Saharan African context.

This paper positions blockchain systems in the context of smart city policy. It argues that blockchain technology may be an effective vehicle in coping with corruption and ‘false playing’ in urban public procurement and tendering systems. It presents the design of new app (Self-Sovereign App or SSApp) to avoid corruptive behavior of agents.

As the social and ecological costs of capital-driven housing markets become increasingly apparent, local governments are (re)establishing collaborations with housing organizations that prioritize affordability and sustainability over profits. This hesitant re-orientation, however, takes place under conditions of strained local budgets and the inscription of market principles into existing public policies and planning law. In this article, we develop an interdisciplinary perspective on the interplay between municipal housing policies, planning and legal frameworks, and collaborative housing organizations in the district development project “Kleineschholz” in Freiburg, Germany. Promoted by the local government as being 100% oriented towards the common good, multiple elements of the project are geared towards community involvement and a close dialogue between public bodies and housing organizations. At the same time, the local government and administration navigate divergent interests within and outside municipal institutions, multi-level legal frameworks, financial constraints, as well as institutional routines. We trace how the project’s common-good orientation is integrated into the co-productive process between housing policy, planning law, and collaborative housing groups. Our analysis centers on the process of concept-based tendering which is a key municipal lever for the project’s orientation towards the common good. Moving beyond the situated district of Kleineschholz, we outline the potentials and challenges of translating an orientation towards the common good into collaborative district development, against the background of present political and legal frameworks.

The accurate estimation of project costs is pivotal for the ongoing financial success of construction companies. Despite the clear definition of direct costs in tendering information, indirect costs (also known as project overheads and preliminaries) are often overlooked or underestimated. These costs are influenced by various factors, including company resource availability, site and project characteristics, contractual conditions and procurement methods. The pricing of preliminaries is a complex task, and the varying nature of these costs, coupled with the lack of transparency in current pricing practices, can lead to significant discrepancies in tender pricing. The challenge is to identify what should be included in preliminaries and arrive at a value in practice. This research has explored how contractors’ estimating departments address the complexities of pricing preliminaries for building and civil infrastructure works, particularly considering stringent contractual requirements and post-pandemic construction market disruptions. Through a literature review and an online survey of 30 senior estimators from major contractors, addressing 18 questions, the research sought to understand current practices, differing approaches and metrics employed in pricing preliminaries during the tendering stage. The multifaceted nature of preliminary studies was examined, offering a structured analysis of their categorisation, estimation methods, associated challenges and the impact of project delivery methods. The findings reveal that each contractor processes the pricing of preliminaries using certain tendering gateways and a variety of different metrics. This indicates that systematic risk and pricing models for contractors may lack a justifiable basis, with existing pricing models facing acceptance challenges across different contractors.

The implementation of e-tenders requires readiness from the aspect of human resources, technological and management capabilities and organizations. To find out the factors that influence the success of the e-tender for construction services in Palu, this research was conducted by involving stakeholders involved in the implementation of the e-tendering, namely consultants, contractors and project owners. Data were collected on the basis of questionnaire survey using Likert scale of 6 and 28 Critical Success Factors (CSFs) were used in the questionnaire survey. The total number of questionnaires distributed was 163, of which 119 were returned, giving a 71% response rate. Data were analyzed using Relative Rank Index (RRI) technique and the Spearman Rank Order Correlation statistical test among three categorical samples. The results show that there is no difference among RRIs’ consultants, contractors and project owners. It is also concluded that the successful implementation of electronic tenders is influenced by factors related to Availability of reliable, affordable, and fast internet services, Availability of reliable ICT infrastructures and computer equipment, Building positive workplace and knowledge sharing culture and also Regular education and training to develop the competence and capability of electronic tendering procedures and requirement

This study addresses the scientific issue of the insufficient systematization of knowledge about the barriers to electronic tendering (E-Tendering) in the construction industry. This study is critical because it can potentially promote more effective, transparent, and environmentally friendly procurement practices, which can help with sustainable development. The key scientific goals of this study are to identify and categorize the barriers to E-Tendering adoption across six (6) geographical regions and to make recommendations to overcome the identified barriers. This research used a systematic literature review technique to identify these barriers from relevant scientific databases. This study identified and categorized the main obstacles to E-Tendering and grouped the barriers according to six geographical regions. Eight (8) significant barriers were common across six geographical locations. They are (1) Inadequate technical/ICT skilled personnel, (2) Inadequate data security, (3) Inadequate policy or uniform standard and Inadequate legal framework, (4) resistance to change, (5) Inadequate ICT and internet infrastructure, (6) High investment cost of implementation, (7) Lack of support, and (8) Technical challenges. Furthermore, this study identified 10 significant barriers to E-Tendering implementation in the construction industry. This study contributes to improving knowledge of these barriers. It contributes to creating policies that promote the long-term reform of procurement processes in the construction sector. This study also supports sustainable development goals by promoting more efficient, transparent, and environmentally friendly procurement processes.

Tender documents often lack clarity and are incomplete, making it difficult for contractors to appropriately price projects. A general view is that the quality of tender documents has declined, which has affected the bidding strategies of contractors. However, the academic literature has focused mainly upon the views of contractors. To obtain a more balanced view of tendering practices, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 practitioners (client, consultant, and contractor) who are involved in a common project at the same time in the UK construction industry. The contractor was satisfied that the quality of tender documents had been consistent. By contrast, both the client and the consultant agreed that the quality of tender documents is an ongoing issue. During the study it was revealed that tendering practice is influenced by the relationship between stakeholders or the unbalanced access to information rather than the accuracy and analysis of tender documentations. Tendering practices and proposed efficient ways of improving the bidding environment were examined. Using the awareness of other project stakeholder’s perspectives, this study can help the contractor to establish suitable tendering practices, and to mitigate tender risk at the bidding stage, which could effectively be implemented in the UK construction industry.

IntroductionQuick and equitable market access to vaccines is a global priority. However, market access routes for vaccines are complex and differ from those for pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, there is variation in decision-making between countries due to local requirements. This work aimed to increase awareness of the key elements of these pathways and the stakeholders involved in European Union (EU) and non-EU countries.MethodsPragmatic desk-based research was undertaken in November 2023 to explore key elements of the market access pathways for vaccines and how these differ between countries. Specifically, the countries of interest were Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the USA. Where available, information was extracted about the key stages and stakeholders involved in the decision-making pathway as well as details about any post-licensing monitoring, the value assessment framework used, vaccine pricing, and the procurement process. In addition, examples of barriers to vaccine access were extracted. The key findings and between-country differences were summarized narratively.ResultsNational Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) were key stakeholders in all countries explored and had varying roles. The evidence requirements differed among countries, such as Germany’s requirement for economic and epidemiological modeling. The Vaccine Monitoring Platform coordinates studies for post-authorization monitoring of vaccines across EU countries. However, England is not part of this network and uses a national agency instead. Vaccine procurement and pricing also differed (e.g., France uses individual reimbursement, England uses national tendering, and Canada uses regional tendering). There was variation in vaccine pricing within the USA, depending on the healthcare provider. Barriers to vaccine access were well reported.ConclusionsThese results can influence the market access strategy of vaccine developers to ensure rapid and equitable vaccine access across countries. Several between-country differences in vaccine market access routes were identified; for example, the role of NITAGs, evidence requirements, and post-licensing monitoring processes. Barriers to vaccine access have been reported in the literature, with some organizations providing recommendations to overcome these.