Bidding Process Research Articles

GERENCIAMENTO DE RISCOS NO PLANEJAMENTO DAS LICITAÇÕES E CONTRATOS PÚBLICOS

Recent legislative changes in the area of public bidding and contracts, especially the guidelines implemented by Normative Instruction SEGES/MPDG Nº. 05/2017, established a new regime for contracting outsourced services in the Brazilian legal system. This new instrument aims to expand the dispute, in compliance with the principle of competitiveness, resulting in the expansion of the supplier market. IN Nº. 05/2017 establishes the rules and guidelines for the procedure for contracting services under the indirect execution regime within the scope of the Direct, autarchic and foundational Federal Public Administration. The regulation establishes innovative phases: Contracting Planning; Supplier Selection; and Contract Management. The Planning phase consists, according to the IN, of 3 stages: Preliminary Studies; Risk Management; and Terms of Reference or Basic Design. This paper aims to present a Risk Management Plan, developed in the planning phase of contracting a bidding process in the Electronic Auction for Price Registration modality. According to the PMBOK® Guide Sixth Edition p. 395, project risk management includes the processes of conducting planning, identification, analysis, response planning, implementation of responses and monitoring of risks in a project. The objective is to maximize exposure to positive events and minimize exposure to negative events. In this context, through causes, consequences, categories and SWOT analysis, 75 risks were identified. Risk management processes were used in accordance with the PMBOK® doctrine and the Pareto Principle to prioritize 25 risks.

Optimal Bidding Strategies for Wind-Thermal Power Generation Rights Trading: A Game-Theoretic Approach Integrating Carbon Trading and Green Certificate Trading

In response to the challenges of low wind power consumption and high pollution emissions from thermal power, the implementation of wind-thermal power generation rights trading is a proactive attempt to reduce wind power curtailment and promote its consumption. This study first regards the alternating bidding process between the two parties as a dynamic game, using the Rubinstein bargaining game model to determine the incremental profit allocation and optimal bidding for both parties in power generation rights trading. Secondly, an energy conservation and emission reduction model is constructed to analyze the benefits from the perspectives of standard coal consumption saving and the carbon emission reduction caused by power generation rights trading. Finally, a combined trading revenue model is established to analyze the final profit of both parties involved in the trading. The results show that the combined trading of wind-thermal power generation rights, incorporating carbon trading and green certificate trading, can effectively promote coal consumption savings in thermal power units and reduce the carbon emissions of the power industry. Moreover, it significantly increases the final profit for both parties, stimulating the enthusiasm of generators for participating in power generation rights trading, and ultimately promoting wind power consumption.

SIMPLIFICANDO O MEI – MICROEMPREENDEDOR INDIVIDUAL GARANTIAS, BENEFÍCIOS E OBRIGAÇÕES

The objective of this work is to facilitate the Individual Micro entrepreneur – MEI, in understanding the guarantees, benefits and obligations of the worker who chooses this size of company. Instituted by complementary law 128 of December 19, 2008, with the aim of including millions of self-employed workers, it soon became the most common in Brazil, currently reaching around 15.7 million micro entrepreneurs, data from the most recent survey by the Ministry of Farm (2024). Therefore, the present work sought to identify the advantages and advantages of being a MEI based exclusively on bibliographical analyses. Through this study, it was possible to verify that the main advantages of the MEI are linked to social security benefits, issuance of invoices, ease of formalization, possibility of hiring an employee, access to banking services, SEBRAE consultancy, reduction of the tax burden, treatment differentiated bidding processes, facilitated downloading, free service, among other benefits. However, it is possible to specifically identify difficulties in obtaining long-term financing, limitations in expanding the business, among others.

The contested terrain of sport, media & indigenous representation: a case study of sámi sport organisation in Norway

This paper examines the representation of Sámi sport in Norwegian media by applying a Nordic-informed ‘critical ethnicity theory’, and a media framing perspective. The study extends previous analyses that have focused on media stereotyping of Indigenous athletes to explore how the media represent Sámi sport. Drawing from a combined quantitative and qualitative analysis of Norwegian print media from 1994-2017, Sámi sport is represented as both a unique organisational phenomenon and as part of the overarching Norwegian sport context. Three main findings are revealed. First, Sámi sport has shifted from being an exotic exhibit to being framed as a potential partner for mainstream (Norwegian) sport within specific contexts, such as during an Olympic bid process. Second, there is an emerging tension between the understanding and celebration of Sámi sport as something exclusive within Norwegian society and its potential to be inclusive via organisational mergers. Third, the findings illustrate the need to recognise that Sámi culture, including sport, also spans Sweden, Finland, and Russia thus any structural reorganisation creates consequences across multiple state borders. Overall, the results indicate several co-existing, and sometimes competing and contradictory representations, all of which must consider the postcolonial conditions of the Sámi as an Indigenous people.

Public Policies, Sustainable Purchases and Family Farming in Brazil – 2013 a 2023

Objectives: to characterize and analyze the public policies and sustainable purchases that contribute to reducing environmental impacts and promote the development of family farming. In order to address the general objective of the research, the following specific objectives were carried out: 1) Contextualize family farming in Brazil; 2) Present and analyze the following public policies focused on family farming: Low Carbon Agriculture - ABC Plan, National Program for Strengthening Family Farming - PRONAF, Food Acquisition Program - PAA and National School Feeding Program - PNAE and 3) discuss the process of sustainable bidding and family farming. Methodology and data sources: the methodology used to achieve the study's objectives was tabular and graphical analysis of secondary data. The data sources were collected from the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming (MDA), the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) through the Rural Credit Matrix, the National Supply Company (CONAB), the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE) and data from the National Secretariat for Rural Social and Productive Inclusion (SEISP) through the Secretariat for Evaluation, Information Management and Single Registry (SAGICAD) platform. In addition, exploratory research was carried out using a bibliographic survey to support the results found. The period of analysis was from 2013 to 2023. Results: It is important to consider that the public policies mentioned above contribute to aligning economic, social and environmental aspects. Based on the evidence obtained, the programs proved to be effective in their aim of supporting family farming. Therefore, in order to continue their actions, it is recommended that the main characteristics of their design be maintained, which have been fundamental to achieving their results and, above all, that resources for their actions be expanded and guaranteed.

Optimal bidding strategy for the price-maker virtual power plant in the day-ahead market based on multi-agent twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm

In recent years, distributed energy resources (DERs) have developed greatly, and the total capacity of resources aggregated by virtual power plants (VPPs) has increased. The role VPP plays in the market is changing. It is necessary to explore VPP's bidding strategy in the electricity market based on the impact of VPP on the clearing price. At the same time, the strategy game of different market players will also impact VPP's strategy. The multi-agent twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (MATD3) algorithm is used to solve the problem of price-maker VPP participation in the day-ahead (DA) market. VPP is required to submit the power and prices of electricity in multi-segments at different times. In the market bidding process, the main market participants are considered as agents. Iterative refinement of each player's strategy is achieved through multi-agent reinforcement learning, with the primary aim of maximizing revenue. For the VPP, the MATD3 algorithm improved the reward by approximately 65 % and increased the convergence speed by 17 % compared to the multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient and multi-agent proximal policy optimization algorithms. The effects of different influences on VPP's bidding strategy are analyzed, which can provide a decision-making reference for market participants.

Between rhetoric and reality: effects of FIFA’s Human Rights Policy on its organisational structures and procedures

ABSTRACT In a ground-breaking development, The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) responded to the global call for human rights protection within the sports world by adopting a Human Rights Policy. This policy represents a significant paradigm shift, redefining how sports organisations approach and advocate for equality, respect, and accountability in human rights. This article uses a single and explanatory qualitative case study approach to examine the effects of FIFA’s Human Rights Policy on the organisation. Data for this research were obtained through a documentary analysis of reports from FIFA’s Human Rights Advisory Board as well as eight semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. The study sheds light on transformative changes across the administration of the organisation, its governance structures and decision-making procedures. By building on organisational change models, the study reveals a dual impact of FIFA’s Human Rights Policy. On the one hand, positive outcomes were identified, including significant organisational and administrative changes, increased resources, improvements in the FIFA World Cup bidding process and enhanced stakeholder engagement. On the other, challenges persist in fully integrating human rights throughout the organisation, particularly in leadership, governance structures, political decision-making, and remedy mechanisms.

Cyber Chatter

Abstract: Cyber Chatter, a web-based application built on the MERN stack, uses the power of GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) technology to provide basic educational chat services and staff Building and ensure efficiency and they have been able to do it well. Cyber Chatter uses GPT-3.5, an advanced generic bid process, to provide accurate and meaningful answers to customer questions. With prior training in a large body of content knowledge, this demonstration demonstrates the incredible ability to develop and generate human-like emotions The application uses machine learning techniques to analyze customer data and continues to improve response quality over time. The use of Cyber Chatter has expanded to include Content Summarizer, Section Generator, Chat with Chatbot, Sci-fi image generator. Understudies can post questions, get answers, and engage in interesting conversations by using its natural user interface with GPT -a chatbot, Cyber Chatter. Cyber Chatter not only covers educational topics but also includes such features as content generators and JavaScript converters. Combining innovative features and an easy-to-use system, Cyber Chatter turns into a versatile punch where students can explore educational tools and interact with intelligent chatbots on a regular basis has enriched their learning experience

Law on Bidding in Capital Construction: Current Status of Regulations, Limitations and Proposed Solutions

Bidding is part of procurement activities between businesses, between businesses and state agencies. This is a form of civilized competition in the market economy, a special transaction method for large-scale transactions that require efficiency and transparency. The nature of bidding is a form of civilized competition in a market economy. Bidding activities are carried out in many fields such as construction, equipment procurement, project implementation, etc. Therefore, all professional businesses, whether Vietnam or foreign, no matter what field, any model, if it has enough capacity, cannot be ignored in bidding. Laws on bidding in the field of capital construction play an important role in managing and regulating bidding activities in the construction industry. Currently, Vietnam law has documents regulating public procurement such as Bidding Law 2013 effective from July 1, 2014, Decree No. 63/2014/ND-CP stipulates detailed implementation of several articles of the Bidding Law on contractor selection, etc. Some issues related to the current status of provisions of Vietnam law on public bidding and procurement activities are the selection of bidding form, bidding process, healthy competition, openness, and transparency in public bidding activities. This study analyzes the regulations and limitations of the law on bidding in the field of capital construction, thereby proposing solutions to improve the law on this issue.

Applying Building Information Modelling (BIM) Technology in Pre-Tender Cost Estimation of Construction Projects: A Case Study in Iran

The pre-tender cost estimation serves as the foundation for determining the project cost in the early stages and is crucial for all parties involved in the tendering process. It is expected to be highly accurate. However, industry surveys have advocated that in the Iranian construction industry, the pre-tender estimated costs of construction projects are not sufficiently accurate during the bidding stage. Building information modelling (BIM) technology is a modern digital tool deployed in the construction industry that has seen substantial growth of application. It employs useful tools in different sectors and has extended its involvement in various stages of the project lifecycle, including feasibility studies, planning, design, construction, and operation and maintenance. This study examines and assesses the status of BIM development in Iran for its applicability in the pre-tender cost estimating process in construction projects. The findings of this study indicate that while there is a limited number of Iranian building projects’ BIM models that possess the required quality and capabilities for BIM-based cost estimation, the results obtained are more precise when compared to existing manual methods. Additionally, utilising BIM-based cost estimation significantly reduces the time required for this process by enhancing the speed of cost estimation operations. An innovative evaluation framework for assessing the quality and functionalities of BIM models is presented, which improves the accuracy of cost estimation before the bidding process in Iran’s construction industry. The research findings demonstrate the enhanced accuracy and effectiveness of BIM as compared to conventional approaches. It also suggests the incorporation of AI technology for model evaluation, which has the potential to become an established global industry standard.

Accelerating the transition to zero-emissions ferries

This study investigates how the authorities in Norway have managed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the ferry sector by implementing a strategic tendering process for domestic ferry services. The study was conducted using interviews and document analysis. The authorities used competitive dialogue to implement zero-emissions technology in the procurement process, rendering the tender process and contract period longer than traditional tenders. The authorities’ first competitive environmental bid process was announced in 2011, and all new ferry tenders are now based on hybrid or zero-emissions technology. The authorities employed push and pull strategies to advance a successful green transition in ferry operations. These measures have led to a significant reduction in GHG emissions from this transport sector but an increase in investment costs compared with traditional diesel ferries. How the authorities used the tender system to make ferry transport more environmentally friendly is useful knowledge for others with similar objectives.

Recent Developments concerning the Rights of Migrant Workers and of Women: a Survey of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Abstract The survey of the Gulf Cooperation Council states reviews some key legislative and executive measures of particularly the governments of Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the year 2023 (largely between December 2022–2023). It focuses mainly on the rights of the migrant workers. Further, and in less detail, it also notes some of the developments pertinent to the rights of women. More generally, these rights are less relevant to women who are not national citizens. The GCC comprises six member countries in the Arab-Gulf region: Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the UAE (it is a federal state comprising seven emirates namely, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah), Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. These oil-producing countries have a significant proportion of foreign workforce in the population. At 88.1 per cent, the UAE has the highest proportion of migrants in its population among the GCC members (UN DESA, 2020). Foreign workers work mostly in the private sector and are also residents in the host countries. Therefore, a broader spectrum of governments’ measures relating to the issues like labour, entry and residence, and ownership of property or business touch the lives of the foreign/migrant workers or expatriates in the Gulf country. Governments’ initiatives targeting domestic workers are relevant also for women because they comprise the majority in this group. Apparently, the most prolific among the GCC countries in governmental initiatives during the surveyed period is the UAE, both concerning migrant workers and women. The Gulf states appear to have showed more responsiveness to their public image as a few important global events have happened in the region in the past year or discussion was in progress. For instance, the FIFA World Cup 2022 was hosted in Doha, Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022. The 28th United Nations Climate Change conference or COP28 was hosted in Dubai, the UAE from 30 November to 12 December 2023. Announced at the conclusion of the competitive bidding process in November 2023, Saudi Arabia has won the bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Riyadh from October 2030 to March 2031.

Applying multi-criteria decision analysis in the bidding process of an own social security regime institute

Public administration is responsible for managing public resources and offering various types of services to the population. Therefore, to ensure that the maintenance of state bodies is carried out in a responsible manner, both for the acquisition of goods and for the contracting of services, it is necessary to carry out bidding processes that follow constitutional principles. In this way, the use of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods can help decision makers to solve selection problems in public institutions. In this context, the objective of this paper is to select, from a pre-defined list of ten alternatives, the three cars considered most suitable to meet the needs of an Own Social Security Regime Institute, allowing the opening of a bidding process more reliable. To carry out this selection, three MCDA methods were used to aid the choice: Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), PROMETHEE II and Weighted Sum Method (WSM). The results demonstrated that the three methods applied together managed to select the three best cars for carrying out the bidding process and that the use of these tools has great potential for the area of public management.

The Readiness of the Malaysian Construction Industry for E-tendering After COVID-19 Pandemic

E-tendering implementation can bring significant benefits such as cost savings, transparency in contract and maximize the efficiency and resources to the construction industry. E-tendering also allows users to participate through internet where this increases the competition, lower down transaction cost and minimize the time consumption and errors in the bidding processes. This study determines the readiness level of E-tendering to the Malaysian construction industry so that the construction industries are capable to overcome the possible issues and enhance their implementation of E-tendering in Malaysia. The research applied mixed methodology. 89 respondents have participated in the questionnaire while five respondents were interviewed in the interview sessions. The results showed that E-tendering organization’s attitudinal readiness has several factors such as foresee the construction tendering practice trends, aware if the introduction of E-tendering is by the government, interested in E-tendering, foresee the increasingly importance of E-tendering to company and good knowledge of IT. The organization’s physical readiness has factors such as software facilities, network access, investment in IT, computer infrastructure and technical staff. The results can be used by policies makers to promote the adoption of E-tendering among the potential practitioners in Malaysia where this can improve the efficiency in construction projects tendering process.

Evaluation of time allocated for bid preparation in national competitive bidding in the Sri Lankan construction industry

PurposeInsufficient time allocation for the bidding period occurs, causing drawbacks to both parties, the client and the bidder. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the time allocated for preparing a bid proposal as per the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) in the Sri Lankan context.Design/methodology/approachThe study has adopted a mixed method approach and expert interviews and document review to detect, analyse and validate the issues, and solutions based on NCB along with the adequacy of the allocated bidding period used as main data collection tools. Both qualitative and quantitative data were analysed through manual content analysis and inferential analysis respectively.FindingsOverall, 24 local issues with the existing competitive bidding process and solutions for each were identified. Among the 24 local issues, it was unanimously agreed by all interviewees that three specific issues require attention and improvement. These issues are related to the standard and incompleteness of bidding documents, inaccurate BOQ quantities measured by the consultant or the main contractor, and the excessive number of bidding document amendments by the consultant. It was revealed that a maximum of 42 calendar days (6 weeks) is sufficient for the bidding process while a minimum of 21 calendar days (3 weeks) is insufficient.Originality/valueThe findings of this study would be recommended that Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) understand the necessity of revising the NCB reference to the time allocated for the preparation of bids. By recognising the importance of sufficient time allocation for bid preparation, this research serves as a practical guide for authorities involved in policy formulation, aiding them in implementing revisions that align with the dynamic requirements of bidding procedures.

Exploring Irregularities in Brazilian Public Bids: An In-depth Analysis on Small Companies

In Brazil, bidding processes constitute the main method through which the Public Administration acquires goods and services, and they aim to select the best proposal between several bidding companies. Analyzing public bids can reveal several negotiating characteristics between companies and the public sector, including alerts of fraudulent activities involving such businesses. This article presents two approaches for detecting irregularities within small companies using data extracted from public bids in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. For each approach, we perform exploratory and geospatial analysis to better understand specific characteristics of the companies with irregularity alerts. Furthermore, we execute a network analysis to examine the underlying connections between such companies. Our findings reveal the efficacy of both approaches in indicating small companies that may be involved in fraudulent activities. Our methodology and results represent a significant advance for the public sector as they have the potential to enhance mechanisms for overseeing and preventing fraud within bidding processes.

PLUS: A Semi-automated Pipeline for Fraud Detection in Public Bids

The diversity of sources and formats of public bidding documents makes collecting, processing, and organizing such documents challenging from the point of view of data analysis. Thus, the development of approaches to deal with such data is relevant since the analysis of them allows to expand of the inclusion of people as they have more access to public decisions and expenditures, increase transparency in the public sector, and give citizens a greater sense of responsibility for having different points of view on the government’s performance in meeting its public policy goals. In this context, we propose PLUS, a semi-automated pipeline for fraud detection in public bids. PLUS comprises a heuristic meta-classifier for bidding documents and a data quality module. Both modules present promising results after a proof of concept, reinforcing the relevance of PLUS for automating the bidding process investigation. Then, we present two applications of PLUS on real-world data: the construction of audit trails for fraud detection and a price database for overpricing detection. Such applications evidence a significant reduction of specialists’ work searching for irregularities in public bids.

A European Salk Institute Could Ensure Accessible and Affordable Medicines.

Many researchers, consumer groups, activists and civil society organizations agree that the pharmaceutical sector has been left too much to the private sector, which is solely driven by a profit motive. Therefore, it is imperative to take a bold initiative to turn the idea of medicine, pharmaceutical products, and health technology as a common good into a reality. We propose to establish a European institute that can oversee an ambitious research portfolio. This institute can provide research grants or do in-house research but, in any case, any intellectual property rights emanating from the research will have to be shared in the interest of the public good. A collective knowledge pool, where all results and technological knowledge are gathered and shared, will likewise be part of the institute. Any final product developed within the Institute will be subject to an open license. We ensure that all necessary data and information remain public and that know-how about the production of a medicine can be passed on to those who need it. Finally, this institute should have a focus on production and distribution. Price, quality, availability and even working conditions of the staff will be criteria in any bidding process.

Standards for Auctioneers in Vietnam and Alberta (Canada)

Auctioneering as a profession has been in existence for many years. The advantage of selling goods through a public auction compared to a normal willing buyer-willing seller process is that the consignor of the goods is likely to get a better price through a competitive bidding process. A professional consignee known as an auctioneer moderates the competitive bidding process during the sale of goods. However, because of the nature of the business and the frequent huge amounts of money involved in the transactions, there is a need to regulate the auctioneering. Every jurisdiction where auctioneering has specific rules that dictate regulate auctioneer standards. This article looks at the auctioneering standards that have been set and legislated in Alberta (Canada) and Vietnam. The paper has identified the minimum requirements that a prospective auctioneer has to meet in the jurisdictions for them to be given a licence to practice. Also, the paper has identified some regulations that guide the auctioneering process in the said jurisdictions. In the article, the researcher further identified key legal prohibitions that are part of the auctioneering standards.

European Capital of Culture and Sustainable Tourism

European Capital of Culture (ECoC), as a long-term cultural initiative of the European Union, has inevitably become intertwined with tourism development in designated cities. For almost four decades, medium-sized and small cities across Europe have been allowed to shift their local economies towards creativity and cultural tourism, driven by the ECoC title, with different cities achieving different levels of success. Since the 1990s, the ECoC initiative has followed the EU's trends, resolutions, and recommendations. The mid-2000s, 2010s, and early 2020s have given the trend a new drive with a more procedural approach in the ECoC bidding process. Sustainable development is one of the EU’s main strategic goals in the new era, and sustainable tourism has also influenced the ECoC initiative, making it one of the key priorities. This paper analyses the concepts of modern cultural tourism and the phenomena of over-tourism and sustainable tourism, especially in the ECoC context. Research methodology is based on secondary sources, including scientific papers, bid books and other official documents drawn up by ECoC cities and ECoC reports. The paper seeks to recognise and systematise the changes in cultural tourism trends in the ECoC context.