Strategy for Implementing Sustainable Public Procurement Policy in India

Abstract

AbstractThe analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) is the most commonly established method for planning and developing strategy. The chapter begins with a SWOT analysis carried out with stakeholders to get insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the current administrative and institutional public procurement framework and leverage the opportunities to develop strategies for implementing sustainable procurement in India. The identical findings of the SWOT analysis carried out over a decade show that the broader policy environment for implementing sustainable procurement has not resulted in perceptible changes in the minds of stakeholders. The insights from the SWOT analysis has been used as relevant considerations in the strategic planning and developing a sample draft sustainable procurement policy, strategy, and roadmap that could prove useful to political leaders, policymakers, and practitioners in successfully planning and implementing sustainable procurement policy by outlining policies, strategies, and actions to boost its implementation. The recommended strategies focus on ten independent thematic areas based on international best practices and lessons learned from the experiences of different governments around the world. These strategies could be updated and customized based on the specific country context and readiness to switch from the transactional to a strategic approach to procurement. These strategies have been translated into smaller goals and actionable activities with a timeline to develop a roadmap for scaling up the integration of sustainability in purchasing decisions in a decentralized manner. The roadmap offers plans and a clearer picture to policymakers for steering a transformation plan that could surely overcome the current challenges faced by practitioners in embedding environment and social sustainability in purchasing decisions. The chapter sheds light on the importance of localizing global experiences for developing legislative and administrative policy frameworks, institutional setup, and review and monitoring mechanisms for translating policy goals into implementation at the ground level. The key learnings from India’s experiences will act as guide to policymakers in the global South on the key considerations for devising sustainable procurement policy and strategy.KeywordsStrategy for Implementing Sustainable Public Procurement in IndiaSWOT Analysis for Implementing Sustainable ProcurementDraft Sustainable Procurement PolicyRoadmap for Sustainable Procurement Implementation in India