Improving the System of Public and Municipal Procurement: Standardization Issues

Abstract

The presented study examines standardization procedures as an integral element of the institution of planning with regard to public and municipal procurement in the Russian Federation. Aim . The study aims to identify the specific features of formation and establishment of requirements for the goods, works, and services being procured for public and municipal needs and their pricing. Tasks. The authors analyze approaches to standardization in public and municipal procurement; systematize tools for the standardization of costs and properties of the goods, works, and services being procured; identify problems in the formation of requirements for the goods, works, and services being procured and outline ways to solve them. Methods . This study uses the methods of the institutional approach to the examination of economic phenomena and processes as well as specific methods of structural, economic, legal, systems, and comparative analysis and expert assessment. Results . It is established that the current system of public and municipal procurement in Russia has a number of flaws that reduce its efficiency. One of the ways to modernize this system is to improve planning, which requires updating approaches to standardization. The most severe problems include the improvement of standardization of costs and properties of the goods, works, and services being procured for public and municipal needs (including substantiation of prices for the subjects of procurement). The solution to the latter problem can be considered as a method of indirect regulation (through the establishment of de facto consumer standards) of production activity in the economy at the micro-level. In the digital era, the development of standardization in procurement is based on the use of unified information systems and catalogs of the goods, works, and services being procured. At the same time, these technical instruments are not yet perfect and in some cases may reduce rather than increase the efficiency of public and municipal procurement. To this end, the authors propose measures aimed at modernizing these instruments. Conclusions . There are a number of problems in the field of standardization of procurement processes, which reduce the efficiency of the examined system. In particular, the issues of cataloging goods, works, services and setting price ceilings need to be addressed urgently. Improving standardization as an element of public and municipal procurement planning is an important and necessary step in improving the validity of budget appropriations allocated for these purposes and increasing the efficiency of their use.