Public Values in Procurement

Abstract

This chapter outlines the importance of considering procurement strategies from the perspective of public values. It explains that public values are dynamic and have different interpretations depending on the situation, the context, and the stakeholders that perceive these values. As the governance models that are in place in an organization can influence the public procurement function and which values need to be ensured and safeguarded by procurement professionals, the three basic governance models which are relevant to public procurement (Traditional Public Management, New Public Management, and New Public Governance) are described. This is followed by a discussion of what value tensions, dilemmas, and conflicts are and how they add to the complexity of public procurement and can make safeguarding public values a balancing act. This chapter ends with a description of different coping patterns that help deal with value conflicts by either reducing or engaging in the complexity that is caused by the value patterns in a public procurement organization and the procurement process.