Enhancing value for money in public procurement of Northern Ireland construction projects

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to evaluate public procurement in Northern Ireland (NI) – more specifically, the achievement of value for money (VfM) in public construction projects. Other areas assessed were factors detrimental to creating VfM, subeconomic/abnormally low tendering and the potential impact of Brexit in NI. The methodology included primary and secondary data collection. Secondary data, through a literature review, identified gaps in knowledge in the study area. Primary data were collated using a mixed-methods approach. The qualitative research involved six semi-structured interviews to collate the data and use of the Decision Explorer software program to analyse these. Quantitative research was in the form of 81 questionnaire responses, analysed using the SPSS software program. The findings highlight influences that create VfM in public procurement, along with barriers to achieving VfM. Direct and indirect factors that contribute to public value are also established. Additionally, the potential impact of Brexit on VfM was ascertained. The research identifies clear implications for practice, with a view of increasing VfM through public procurement procedures. An insight is provided into public procurement in NI from the perspective of both vendor (public bodies) and purchaser (contractors) – an area that appears to be under-represented in current literature.