Abstract
Abstract Efficient spending of public money is a crucial requirement of public procurement. This requirement is even more important in the case of public works contracts since construction projects are usually very costly. Accordingly, public authorities should manage the procurement process in an efficient way. The aim of this paper is to analyse municipal procurement practices focusing on small-scale public contracts for construction works. The Czech Republic is the study area for this analysis. Data concerning procurement practices were collected through a questionnaire survey and on the basis of available internal municipal directives that govern the procurement process. The results show that a majority of municipalities use internal directives and specify financial categories for small-scale public contracts. It has also been found that the majority of municipalities contract external consulting companies for specific contracts or subsidised public contracts. Directives usually concern the issue of responsibility and the approval procedure related to the public contract. Based on the research findings, general recommendations for awarding public contracts have been formulated. These findings can potentially contribute to the dissemination of best practices among contracting authorities in the Czech Republic.
Highlights
Act No 172/1991 Coll., on passage of certain assets from the property of the Czech Republic to the ownership of municipalities [1] transferred certain essential assets to the municipalities which have since become administered– plots of land; – residential and non-residential premises; – infrastructure assets; – local and public roads (pursuant to Section 9 (1)of the Roads Act [2], “motorways and class-I roads are owned by the State
Authors of this paper have focused on one of the important activities within the investment stage of the life cycle of construction projects, i.e. the selection of a suitable contractor to carry out construction works / projects related to the aforementioned municipal assets
The data show that a vast majority of the municipalities are aware of the need to regulate the awarding of small-scale public contracts by applying internal directives
Summary
Act No 172/1991 Coll., on passage of certain assets from the property of the Czech Republic to the ownership of municipalities [1] transferred certain essential assets to the municipalities which have since become administered– plots of land; – residential and non-residential premises; – infrastructure assets; – local and public roads (pursuant to Section 9 (1)of the Roads Act [2], “motorways and class-I roads are owned by the State. Authors of this paper have focused on one of the important activities within the investment stage of the life cycle of construction projects, i.e. the selection of a suitable contractor to carry out construction works / projects related to the aforementioned municipal assets. The main piece of legislation is Act No 134/2016 Coll., on public procurement [3], which classifies public contracts by their subject-matter (supplies, services and construction works) and by funding limits – there are so-called above-the-threshold public contracts VAT), below-the-threshold public contracts and small-scale public contracts In the event the municipality “as the contracting authority” implements a small-scale public contract, it does not have to proceed in accordance with the rules laid down
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