Awarding Process Research Articles

Optimal procurement auctions with audit

AbstractOne solution to limit the contractor’s default risk in first-price procurement auctions is to audit the winning firm in order to assess the reliability of its bid, and, in case of an unsatisfactory response, move to the firm that ranked second, and so on. Focussing on a situation in which firms with cheaper technologies have a higher risk of default ex-post, we provide conditions that ensure that a first-price auction with audit is indeed optimal. These conditions are likely to be satisfied when the relation between firms’ cost and default risk is not too steep and when the cost of performing the audit is not too large. We also characterize the optimal threshold that determines which firms are to be audited and which are not. We finally discuss cases in which, instead, a first-price auction with audit is dominated by a mechanism in which the allocation (and the audit) is done randomly, at least at some point of the awarding process.

Mines’ Characteristics and Their Links with Agriculture as the Main Livelihood for Rural Households in Burundi

Mining activities create positive links with agriculture. They are also characterized by uprooting of agricultural land and labour, and water pollution. The objective of this paper is to characterize mining activities and their links with the livelihoods of rural household. A survey with 140 households, interviews and observations were conducted in July and August 2022 in Mabayi commune, on Gahoma and Ruhororo hills, where the Russian mining company ‘Tanganyika Mining Burundi-TMB’ and the local mining cooperative Dukorere Hamwe Dusoze Ikivi-DHDI were carrying out their activities respectively, since December 2018. The results showed that TMB and DHDI inject money into the local economy, and strengthen social ties by creating farmers and mutual aid’s associations/cooperatives. They are also characterized by competition in land and labour markets, environmental degradation, rising food and arable land prices, and corruption in the compensation awarding process. DHDI absorbs considerably local labour force and improves social infrastructure, unlike TMB. Although it is characterized by survival mining activities which are dangerous to health and live of employees, DHDI contributes positively to agricultural production, whereas TMB contributes negatively to agricultural production, despite having sufficient capacity and skills to improve performance and ensure the safety of its employees. Received: 3 January 2024 / Accepted: 26 June 2024 / Published: 02 July 2024

The impact of the Pitching Research Framework on AFAANZ grant applications: A pre-registered study

Despite the popularity of grant schemes, there is a noticeable absence of research into the impacts of streamlined grant processes on both assessors and applicants. This study conducted 46 interviews with finance and accounting academics in Australia and New Zealand to explore their experiences with the Pitching Research Framework (PRF) within the streamlined AFAANZ grant process. Utilising an inputs-process-outputs perspective, the findings reveal significant efficiencies due to the concise, comprehensive, and structured nature of the framework. Further, the PRF provides valuable learning and skill-building opportunities and varied outputs regardless of academic career stage for both assessors and applicants. Recommendations are proposed to enhance transparency, reduce perceived bias, and improve effectiveness of the grant awarding process. These findings provide practical implications for prospective assessors, applicants, the AFAANZ grant-awarding committee, and other grant-awarding bodies across Australia, New Zealand, and the globe.

Effectiveness of Non-Monetary Motivations on Job Performance in Tanzania: A Case of Institutions in Tabora Municipality, Tanzania

This study sought to examine “the effectiveness of non-monetary motivations on job performance in public institutions; a case of Tabora Municipal Council. The study was confined to four specific objectives which were: (1) To examine the process of Recognizing workers as non-monetary motivation on job performance in Tabora Municipal Council (2) To examine the process of Promoting workers as non-monetary motivation on job performance in Tabora Municipal Council (3) To determine the process of Training workers as non-monetary motivation on job performance in Tabora Municipal Council (4) To determine the relationship between non-monetary motivations and employees’ job performance in Tabora Municipal Council. A descriptive correlational study design was adopted and a total sample of 148 respondents was consulted. The stratified and purposive sampling techniques were used to select respondents. Questionnaires were employed as tools of data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed by frequencies, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation, and the data were presented in tables and figures. The study findings revealed that the processes of non-monetary motivations follow labor and employment policy guidelines at Tabora Municipality. Furthermore, the study findings revealed that factors for successful practices are the use of fairness, policy, and evaluation feedback reports. The study findings revealed that there is a positive relationship between non-monetary motivations and job performance. Lastly, the study recommends that Trust from all employees must be taken into account to create a fair and equal chance when it comes to the awarding process. Management members should be trained properly to conduct the employee performance review as one of the tool requirements in granting non-monetary motivation awards to workers.

The Partisan Dimensions of Earmarking in the U.S. House of Representatives

Abstract Passing out federal dollars to specific projects in particular districts had been a popular way for congressional leaders to build large bipartisan majorities for major bills since the very first meeting of Congress. By matching projects to districts, scholars have been able to systematically analyze which members were successful in getting their project funded. But for one year, though, the requests members submitted were never known. Using earmark requests data during the 111th Congress, we can know both the requests and the awards. Knowing the former changes our understanding of the latter. We find that the request process is largely driven by ideology, rather than electoral vulnerability. More moderate Republicans tended to seek more earmarks than their more conservative copartisans; some of whom completely opted out of the process. The effect was the opposite for Democrats, whose moderates requested fewer earmarks. When these requests are taken into consideration, the awarding process appears to be even less partisan than the raw data would suggest, confirming the bipartisan nature of the earmarking process.

How (Not) to Win a Medal: Military Professionalism, Gallantry Awards, and the Problem of Fraud

Gallantry medals are invested with deep significance not only by the armed forces but also by civilian society. In the last decade, there has been a debate in sociology about whether the medallic regime has become post-heroic or whether it has professionalized. This article contributes to these debates by focusing on the topic of fraudulent medals. Fake medals are very rare; there has been one proven case in the United Kingdom in the last 20 years. However, precisely because fake medals are the exception, their pathologies illustrate the processes by which medals are actually awarded with particular clarity. This analysis of the fake medal shows that gallantry awards have professionalized; in the UK medals have become more meritocratic, recognizing skill not status. The awarding process is also more objective. Yet, its very professionalism is ironically vulnerable to a specific type of fraud by skilful but cynical citation writers.

Transition of the procurement process to Paris-compatible buildings: consideration of environmental life cycle costing in tendering and awarding

PurposeThe greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by the construction industry account for an enormous share of total global CO2 emissions. The numerous construction activities therefore continue to reduce the remaining carbon budget. One lever for the reduction of these GHG emissions lies in the procurement process of buildings. For this reason, a process model was developed that takes embodied and operational emissions into account in the tendering and awarding phase of buildings.MethodsTo validate the developed theoretical framework, environmental life cycle costing (eLCC) was conducted on a single-family house case study, taking into account external cost caused by GHG emissions. Various shadow prices were defined for the calculation of external cost to identify changes in award decisions. We further investigated a results-based climate finance (RBCF) instrument, i.e., the GHG emission bonus/malus, to demonstrate an approach for calculating Paris-compatible cost (PCC) scenarios.ResultsWe show that an award decision based on life cycle costing (LCC) leads to a 12% reduction in GHG emissions. A further reduction in GHG emissions can be achieved by awarding contracts based on eLCC. However, the required shadow prices within the eLCC awards to influence the award decision are quite high. With the development of the LCA-based bonus/malus system, PCC scenarios can be determined at sufficient shadow prices, and further GHG emission reductions can be achieved.ConclusionsSince the implementation of LCA and LCC in the tendering and awarding process is currently not mandatory, in this context, the next step towards Paris-compatible buildings must first be taken by the awarding authorities as well as the policy-makers. However, the application of the LCA-based bonus/malus system and thus the awarding of contracts according to PCC scenarios show the enormous GHG emissions reduction potential and thus represent an innovative and sustainable framework for an adapted procurement process.

Portrait of the Ukrainian Capital Defenders in Award Documents for the Medal "For the Defense of Kyiv"

The purpose of the work is to analyse the informative potential of little-known documents from the collection of the State Archive of Kyiv (SAK) which describe the awarding process for the medal for the defense of Kyiv in July-September, 1941. We determine the reliable number of awardees, as well as create a socio-demographic collective portrait of them. For the first time the documents for the medal "For the Defense of Kyiv" from the funds of the SAK are considered as a source of scientific research in the field of restoring the national memory of the Ukrainians and for the first time as well they are comprehensively introduced into scientific circulation. From decision protocols and the witness testimonies, award letters, etc., it’s possible to distinguish the main categories of persons who applied for awards, to divide them by gender, age, and types of work they did during the defense of Kyiv. The reporting documentation of the awards department of the Kyiv City Council for the period 1962–1992 provides rich material for the reconstruction the image of city defenders, studying the ways of involvement for the civilian population in defence work, as well as understanding the course of the awarding process over the 30 years. Prospects for further studies are possible through the further, more detailed prosopographic and demographic studies, the search for new information about awarding, further research work related to the period of June-September 1941. Personal information about people in award letters is also a valuable source of information for genealogical research.

Implementation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the Procurement Process of Buildings: A Systematic Literature Review

The construction industry adds a high share to global CO2 emissions and, thus, to the global climate crisis. Future buildings need to be planned, constructed, operated, and deconstructed in a lifecycle-oriented manner so that the building stock represents a capital asset for future generations. The greatest leverages for reducing a building’s CO2 emissions lie in the early project phase and subsequently in the tendering and awarding process, which makes early Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) indispensable. In this study, we set a sociological research framework consisting of (i) choosing a research topic, (ii) conducting a literature review, (iii) measuring variables and gathering data, (iv) analyzing data, and (v) drawing a conclusion. Since there are countless studies that apply LCA in the construction sector for environmental assessment, emission reduction, or decision support, we posed the question of whether LCA was also applied in the public building tendering and awarding process. Furthermore, we focused on identifying obstacles to LCA implementation in this early project phase. Therefore, we applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The results show that numerous articles focused on sustainable tendering or green public procurement in the construction industry; however, the LCA method is scarcely used in the procurement processes (19 articles in the final sample). Based on our findings, the main obstacles to LCA implementation in the procurement process are highlighted in the study. In the future, the mandatory integration of LCA into the procurement process will be crucial to reduce the CO2 emissions generated by the construction industry and thus contribute to the EU climate target plan to ensure carbon neutrality by 2050.

Comparing Machine Learning and Human Judge in SATU Indonesia Awarding Processes

For more than ten years, SATU Indonesia Awards, with PT. Astra International Tbk's support is given to inspiring young Indonesians. Every year, more than 10,000 nominations must be short-listed to 90 nominations within one week with five (5) assessment parameters. The research contributions are (1) creating a machine learning mechanism for the awarding process from ten years of the SATU Indonesia Awards nomination archive, (2) creating two (2) models of training data for the five (5) assessed parameters, namely motivation, obstacle, outcome, outreach, and sustainability, and (3) compare machine learning prediction with 2021 judge's assessment. TEMPO Data and Analysis Center (PDAT) extracts the corpus training data from ten years' SATU Indonesia Awards data in six months. The corpus training data contains nomination texts with Judges' scores on motivation, obstacle, outcome, outreach, and sustainability. Two (2) corpus training data and two models were generated with, namely, (1) the average Judges' parameter value per instance and (2) the Judges' smallest value and stored in two (2) corpus of 1220 instances each. The classification model was generated by Random Forest, which has the slightest error among the classification algorithms tested. The first model aims to predict the nomination assessment parameters. The second model is to detect the outlier in the incoming nominees for extraordinary nominees. The machine learning predictions were compared and found to be similar to the 2021 judge's assessment in the awarding processes at SATU Indonesia Awards. The average Judges' pre-final 2021 nominees' scores are compared to the Random Forest's predictions and found to be reasonably similar, with a small RMSE error around 1.1 to 1.6 for all assessment parameters. The smallest RMSE was obtained in the Sustainability parameter. The Obstacle parameter was found to have the largest RMSE.

Digitalization of the Awarding Process in Bulgaria During a Pandemic

The spread of COVID-19 in the past year has posed a serious challenge to state economies. The pandemic had an impact on the management and economy of developing countries and transition countries, which required the reorganization of management methods and increased use of information and communication technologies in everyday life. This complex and unexpected environment has altered the way the public administration works, which reflects on the business as well. Bulgaria was not isolated from the effect and took measures, including legislative measures to deal with the situation. In parallel with these processes, a serious reform in the “Public Procurement” sector was carried out in Bulgaria related to the digitalization of the awarding process. Digitalization has led to streamlining the process of conducting public procurement procedures and has enabled its effectiveness to be improved.

NEXUS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIA ECONOMY (1995 – 2018)

This study examined the Impact of Government Expenditure on Economic Growth in Nigerian from 1995 to 2018. The main objective is to examine the impact of government expenditure on economic growth in Nigeria. The study adopted ex-post facto research design. It used annual time series data extracted from the Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin and annual report. The data collected were analyzed using multiple regression techniques of the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The analysis used Gross Domestic product as dependent variable. Government Capital Expenditure, Government Recurrent Expenditure and Money Supply as the independent variables. The result revealed that Government Capital Expenditure with a p-value of 0.542 which is statistically insignificant, has a negative impact on the growth of Nigerian economy. Government Recurrent Expenditure with a p-value of 0.009 which is statistically significant has a positive impact on economic growth in Nigeria. Money Supply with a p-value of 0.000 which is statistically significant, has a positive impact on economic growth in Nigeria. The study recommended that the Government should ensure that capital expenditure and recurrent expenditure are properly managed in a manner that it will raise the nation’s production capacity and accelerate economic growth. Also, Government should monitor the contract awarding process of capital projects closely, to prevent against over estimation of execution cost.

Eliminate confusion about graduation eligibility with institutional degree awarding process

Fifty. That's the number of Oregon State University students who weren't graduating each year, because they didn't realize they need to apply to do so.

The implications of product modularisation on the development process, supplier integration and supply chain design in collaborative product development

Generating economies of scale is one of the most desirable goals when developing modular product systems. Since complex products are commonly developed in collaboration between an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and its suppliers, pursuing this goal inherently establishes interdependencies between the development process, supplier integration and supply chain design. To fully reap the benefits of modular product systems requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses these fields and addresses the inter-dependencies between them via a coherent collaboration between development and purchasing. This is the main focus of this work. In this paper, we first describe how the product development process has to be restructured for the concerted development of modules and overall products within the scope of a modular product system. Secondly, we propose a new collaboration model between the OEM and its suppliers, since OEMs need to collaborate directly with suppliers of lower levels of the value chain in order to facilitate the standardisation of components and modules across different products. Finally, we delineate an awarding process for both development services and production volumes for series supply that resolves the conflicting priorities of economies of scale and avoiding over-dependence on single suppliers. The process models described in this paper have been conceived based on systems engineering principles and have been successfully tested and further refined throughout several industrial projects carried out with two automotive manufacturers. The resulting approach will be demonstrated using a generic example taken from the automotive industry.

QR-Code tracking and SMS notification transaction interface for scholarship management system

ABSTRACT Information system (IS) is a product of information technology (IT) that supports various business functions utilizing advanced technology comprising hardware, software, people, network, and data. Scholarship management systems is one example of an information system that is designed to assist with the scholarship awarding process of any university. When designing such systems, it is important to consider the reusability of certain components instead of developing an entire software from scratch. In this article, a scholarship management system was developed integrating a quick response code (QR-Code) tracking and short message service (SMS) notification transaction interface. The results of this study showed a high rating from two perspective evaluators with regards to its system functionality, execution, generality as well as its reusability in its source code.

Criteria analysis of green public procurement in the Spanish furniture sector

Green Public Procurement (GPP) constitutes a potential policy instrument to reduce the environmental impact of products, services and works, and to create environmental value for society. Further requirements had to be recently incorporated into tenders to boost sustainability in the production and consumption market to favour circular economy. The awarding process used by public institutions while tenders are being evaluated becomes especially relevant in the performance of the final purchased product or service. This paper describes an in-depth analysis performed on the GPP criteria for furniture, which is identified as one of the priority sectors for circular economy. Forty-three tenders from the Spanish furniture sector were content-analysed and the criteria included in them were identified and clustered. The results showed how environmental, technical, social and other considerations are being included in tenders and which weight is granted to them during the awarding process. The results reveal that, although environmental criteria are being progressively introduced, these are still tentatively present (average weight of 6.02%) and the economic aspect is still the most decisive one (73.14%), followed by the technical (18.67%). A high potential was found in the furniture sector regarding innovation, ecolabel integration, public staff training and policy development towards enhancing the market’s circularity.

Covid-19, Classical Subjects and the Classroom: Teachers’ Feedback from Summer 2020

AbstractThe Classical Association Teaching Board (CATB) surveyed Classics teachers in the United Kingdom from 20th August to 9th September 2020 to gauge views about the impact on teaching of the national lockdown during the covid-19 pandemic. 164 teachers from both the state and independent sectors completed the survey. There were three areas of focus in the survey. First, the impact on pupils of the grade awarding process after the cancellation of GCSE and A Level examinations in 2020. Second, how confident teachers were in preparing for the 2021 examinations after the loss of five months of face-to-face teaching. Third, reactions to Ofqual's consultation process on changes to the format of the 2021 examinations. This article brings together the responses to the survey and details how the unprecedented closure of schools affected the teaching of Classics. It will also explain how the CATB continues to support Classics teachers and the teaching of classical subjects in UK schools.

Spectrum access options for vertical network service providers in 5G

5G will extend the mobile technology deployment beyond the communications industry, bringing connectivity to the explosively growing number of devices and services. To be able to respond to 5G sectors' different requirements, as well as the spectrum scarcity issue, different spectrum access approaches need to be considered. The aim of this article is to identify substantial properties of spectrum access approaches to assess their suitability to 5G vertical use cases. We have defined five optional spectrum access scenarios for 5G vertical network service providers (VNSPs) in acquiring spectrum access to provide a network service to either end users or other companies. The stakeholders involved in the spectrum awarding process are identified, and their roles and targets are examined. Furthermore, the advantages and drawbacks of each scenario are covered. Following the discussion, we were able to highlight some substantive characteristics in terms of suitability assessment, namely reliability, locality and mobility, mobile network operators (MNOs) involvement, costs and time scale. These characteristics were analysed in terms of each scenario to further the scenario's suitability assessment to VNSPs' purposes.

Competitive bidding in asymmetric multidimensional public procurement

In a multidimensional procurement auction, such as a most economically advantageous tender, asymmetric opponents, with different cost structure and predetermined quality, compete for the highest score, which combines price and quality. Production inefficiency characterizes each tenderer. We derive the equilibrium equations and boundary conditions, for which closed-form solutions are not available. We compare the bidding behavior of any pair of rival tenderers and demonstrate that equilibrium prices critically depend on the comparison of the cost difference Δc with respect to the increment of score attribute s. For the same production inefficiency, a tenderer with a relatively higher Δc compared to s, stands in weak competitive position and is forced to bid more aggressively. We show how the opposing advantage of each bidder with respect to cost or score attribute induces the extent of competition. Under a different perspective, we analyze bidding by a pair of tenderers for a given maximum score, achieved when pricing is at cost. Our analysis reveals that the player with consistently higher percentage change of the probability of being more efficient than the rival, is in a disadvantageous position and receives lower score in the awarding process. Our results are useful for tenderers in assessing their competitive position. The findings enable contracting authorities to evaluate competition at the preliminary stage of design and to examine the effects of the awarding criterion on pricing.

Ansätze und Herausforderungen der Implementierung von ESG-Kriterien in Wettbewerben und der unternehmerischen Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung

Zusammenfassung: Awards stellen im Rahmen eines Wettbewerbs aus dem Teilnehmerfeld den Besten heraus. Sie sind damit ein vereinfachtes, meist positives Signal, das die Transparenz verbessern, belohnen und Verbesserungs- und Nachahmeffekte erzielen möchte. Grundlage für die Vergabe eines Nachhaltigkeitsawards an Unternehmen ist deren herausragende Erfüllung von Leitlinien oder vorgegebenen ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance)-Kriterien. Mittels einer Befragung unter 15 Wettbewerben, die sich deutschlandweit an alle Unternehmensbranchen richten, wird in diesem Beitrag dargestellt, welche konkreten Kriterien in die unternehmerischen Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung von Wettbewerben eingehen und welche Herausforderungen damit verbunden sind. Soziale Aspekte, wie Arbeitssicherheit und Menschenrechte, stehen neben ökologischen Aspekten, insbesondere Emissionen und Klimawandel, an vorderer Stelle der Bewertungen. Insgesamt erreichen jedoch nur wenige Wettbewerbe ein gehoben-mittleres Qualitätsniveau mit der gewählten Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung. Die Vergabe bleibt oftmals vage. Vor allem die Transparenz ist sehr verbesserungswürdig. Ein einheitlicher Qualitätsstandard für Nachhaltigkeitswettbewerbe wird empfohlen, dessen Verbindlichkeit und anzulegende Mindestkriterien gilt es weiter auszuloten.