Procurement Practices Research Articles

The Impact of Sodium Reduction on Overall Nutrient Content in Child and Adult Care Food Program Meals.

To understand the impact of sodium reduction on the nutrient content of Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meals served through At-Risk Afterschool Meals (ARASM) without compromising the nutritional quality of the meals served. Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP) partnered with a CACFP ARASM program from October 2016 to September 2021. We assessed changes in Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) food component scores and macro-and micronutrients using cross-sectional nutrient analyses of October 2016 and 2020 menus. ARASM program sites in Indianapolis, IN, USA. October 2016 and 2020 menus from one CACFP ARASM program.Intervention: Sodium reduction strategies included implementing food service guidelines, modifying meal components, changing procurement practices, and facilitating environmental changes to promote lower sodium items. From baseline in 2016 to 2020, 15 meal components were impacted by the intervention which impacted 17 (85%) meals included in the analysis. Average sodium per meal reduced significantly between 2016 (837.9 mg) and 2020 (627.9 mg) (p=0.002). Between 2016 and 2020, there were significant increases in whole grains (p=0.003) and total vegetables (p<0.001) and significant reductions in refined grains (p=0.001) and sodium (p=0.02), all per 1,000 calories served. This study demonstrates that sodium content can be reduced in CACFP meals without compromising the nutritional quality of meals served. Future studies are needed to identify feasible best practices and policies to reduce sodium content in the CACFP meal pattern.

Latent Dirichlet Allocation in Public Procurement Documents Analysis for Determining Energy Efficiency Issues in Construction Works at Polish Universities

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of public procurement documents in the domain of university buildings taken from the e-procurement platform, particularly focusing on their transformation towards more efficient energy consumption. Using a corpus of the titles of the public procurement documents from 2020 to 2022, we used Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for topic modeling to understand the key thematic areas of focus. The methodology presented in this study incorporated a bifurcated approach. This two-stage procedure began with preprocessing and dictionary creation from the corpus of titles of procurement documents. Following this, the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model was employed for topic extraction and trend analysis, thereby providing a comprehensive understanding of the thematic progression in procurement practices over time. Our analysis revealed a shift in emphasis from modernization towards the adoption of energy-saving technologies as well as a growing focus on broader sustainability initiatives. However, a less prevalent topic was adherence to cooling &amp; heating systems, suggesting potential areas for improvement in procurement practices. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable procurement in university buildings and offer valuable insight for universities to enhance their energy efficiency strategies.

Collaborative Procurement Practices in Public Organizations: A Review of Forms, Benefits and Challenges

This study reviewed forms, benefits, and challenges of collaborative procurement practice that could be applied in public organizations in developing countries like Tanzania. The study is exploratory and descriptive in nature under which a systematic literature review was conducted to examine the various forms, benefits, and challenges of collaborative procurement. In this approach, information was gathered from the existing body of literature on collaborative procurement and cooperative purchasing practices. Based on the main results, the study ascertained that piggy-backing groups, third-party groups, professional networks, and project groups are the main four forms of collaborative procurement practices that may be applicable in public organizations. Results suggested that organizations that engage in collaborative procurement practices enjoy several benefits, including minimum prices, low transaction costs, high-quality products, reduced workloads, and minimal supply risks. However, demand heterogeneity can complicate the procurement process, and inflexibility and control of collaborative procurement activities are major challenges for implementing collaborative procurement practices. Despite these challenges, the study concluded that collaborative procurement practices can be beneficial in public organizations in developing countries like Tanzania. The study recommends that collaborative members establish clear guidelines and agreements for collaborative procurement practices to ensure successful implementation.

The need for maintaining ethical practices in public procurement: An investigation into the audit reports on the account of the government of Sierra Leone (2018 – 2022)

Ethics is crucial for the success of every organization, including those in the public sector. Procurement activities bridge the gap between government funds and the utilization of these funds. This demands the efficient and effective utilization of these funds. On this ground, this study unveiled and established the need for maintaining ethical practices in public procurement. Specifically, the study probed into the Auditor-General's reports on the Accounts of the Government of Sierra Leone from 2018 to 2022. Secondary data were collected from these reports and were statistically analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS v26. Data were presented in the form of tables and graphs. The study found the various procurement irregularities that occurred from 2017 to 2021; the most common procurement irregularities were non-submission of procurement documents, followed by irregularities in the bidding process; each of the procurement irregularities has a probability of occurring again in the mere future. The study also showed a positive significant relationship between the occurrence of procurement irregularities and the number of institutions involved. Hence, the study concluded that the need for maintaining ethical practices in public procurement is called for, giving rise to the number of procurement irregularities across public institutions in Sierra Leone and the probability of future occurrence.

The need for maintaining ethical practices in public procurement: An investigation into the audit reports on the account of the government of Sierra Leone (2018 – 2022)

The need for maintaining ethical practices in public procurement: An investigation into the audit reports on the account of the government of Sierra Leone (2018 – 2022)

Sustainable circular cities? Analysing urban circular economy policies in Amsterdam, Glasgow, and Copenhagen

ABSTRACT Cities play a central role in the circular economy (CE) as they are important centres of production and consumption, responsible for 80% of global GDP. European cities are particularly important due to their position of power in the global economy as major markets, and places of industrial and social innovation. Yet urban CE policies and discourses remain poorly researched and understood. This paper addresses this research gap by analysing and comparing the CE policies and discourses in different European cities to draw critical insights and recommendations. It does so by first reviewing academic literature on urban CE policies to develop a new conceptual framework to analyse CE discourses and policies. This framework is then used to analyse and compare the CE policies of three European cities: Glasgow, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. Results show that technocentric approaches to CE are dominant in the three cities. Moreover, they have very limited social justice policies for a fair distribution of the costs and benefits of a CE transition. Key policy recommendations to address these shortcomings are thus proposed. The insights brought about by this paper are valuable for both practitioners and academics seeking to improve urban CE policies.

Local food procurement by hospitals: a scoping review.

Local food procurement by hospitals is gaining traction as governments and advocacy groups seek to influence food systems and strengthen local communities, but there is little empirical evidence as to its practical application or efficacy. The aims of this review were to describe the extent, range and nature of local food procurement models in healthcare foodservices, and to understand the barriers and enablers to implementation, including from the perspective of stakeholders across the supply chain. A scoping review was conducted following the protocol published in the Open Science Framework Registration (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/T3AX2). Five electronic databases were searched for the following concepts: 'hospital foodservice', 'local food procurement practices', 'the extent, range and nature' and/or 'the barriers and enablers of procurement'. Eligible peer-reviewed original research published in English from the year 2000 was included following a two-step selection process. The final library included nine studies. Most studies (7 of 9) were from the United States. Three studies used survey methods and reported high rates (58%-91%) of US hospital participation in local food procurement. Studies offered minimal description of local procurement models, but two models, conventional ('on-contract') or off-contract, were typically used. Barriers to local food procurement included restricted access to suitable local food supply, limited kitchen resources and inadequate technology to trace local food purchase thereby limiting evaluation capabilities. Enablers included organisational support, passionate champions and opportunistic, incremental change. There is a paucity of peer-reviewed studies describing local food procurement by hospitals. Details of local food procurement models were generally lacking: categorisable as either purchases made 'on-contract' via conventional means or 'off-contract'. If hospital foodservices are to increase their local food procurement, they require access to a suitable, reliable and traceable supply, that acknowledges their complexity and budgetary constraints.

Factors Affecting the Cost Savings Rate of University Procurement

The procurement function is an essential part of a university’s operations, as it provides the necessary goods and services for academic and administrative activities.This paper explores the impact of different demand channels on cost savings rate in university procurement. Through surveying and analyzing the demand channels used in university procurement, this study finds that the use of multiple demand channels can improve procurement efficiency and performance, and help reduce procurement costs. Moreover, the quality of communication and information sharing between universities and suppliers, as well as the level of competition among suppliers for procurement contracts, affect the cost savings rate. The findings of this study will also provide important implications for university procurement practices, by helping universities make more informed decisions regarding the selection of procurement demand channels. Ultimately, the goal is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of university procurement practices, which can lead to cost savings, improved procurement outcomes, and increased value for money.

Information Technology and Service Delivery of County Governments in Western Kenya Region

The inappropriateness in use of public monies has been cited as a major distractor towards achievement of development goals enshrined in our constitution. It has been largely attributed to the procurement practices adopted. The main objective of this study was to determine effects of information technology on service delivery of County governments in western Kenya region. The target population for this study entailed 228 officers who were categorized into chief officers, Directors, Finance officers and procurement officers. This study employed stratified random sampling towards picking a sample of 174 respondents. Information technology from the findings of this study had a significant effect on the delivery of services among counties in western Kenya region. Particularly, as Information technology changes by one unit, service delivery changes by 0.309 units units (β2=0.309, P&lt;0.05). The F value obtained df (1,161) =84.947, P&lt;0.05, that gave support to the goodness of fit of the model in adducing variance in the dependent variable. It meant too that Information Technology is a useful predictor of service delivery. This study therefore recommended that County Governments should view and treat information technology as a critical component and resource since its application in procurement activities improves delivery of services.

Integrating eye care in low-income and middle-income settings: a scoping review

ObjectivesIntegrated people-centred eye care has been recommended as a strategic framework for reducing global vision impairment and blindness. The extent to which eye care has integrated with other services has...

Public procurement practice to enhance technology and innovation development in Ethiopian construction industry

Effectively utilizing public procurement as a tool to enhance different practices in construction industry needs detail investigation of each stage of the procurement. This would help to devise appropriate intervention strategies; hence, this study is aimed at investigating the practice of using public procurement to enhance technology and innovation development in the context of Ethiopia. A structured questionnaire was developed to evaluate the practice using a 5-point Likert scale. Major public clients and higher-grade consultants and contractors were selected for the survey. In addition, semi-structured interview was conducted to get detail insight about the practice. While mean score and T-test were used for the quantitative data analysis, the interview data was analyzed thematically focusing on specific objective of the study. The findings indicate that the public procurement practice is poor in promoting technology and innovation. The major attributes to the poor performance are associated with the shortfalls in the role of procuring entity at each stage of the procurement and suitability of the public procurement provisions. Considering the major attributes to the poor performance, a framework is suggested to improve the practice. The findings will be helpful to the public clients and regulatory bodies in indicating the potential intervention area.

Complex, Varied and Evolving Manifestations of Food Agency in Daily Life Among Diabetes Prevention Program Participants in Baltimore, Maryland

ObjectiveTo characterize food agency (one's capacity to procure and prepare food in particular contexts) among Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) participants and gather perspectives about experiences with DPP. DesignPhotograph-elicitation in-depth interviews and survey measures. SettingBaltimore, Maryland (June–August 2021). ParticipantsBlack women (n = 13) who participated in DPP. Phenomenon of InterestFood agency and strategies used to procure and prepare food and the influence of DPP on daily food behaviors. Surveys measured food agency using the Cooking and Food Provisioning Action Scale and cooking behaviors. AnalysisThematic analysis of qualitative in-depth interviews and descriptive statistics for quantitative measures. ResultsAs quantitative and qualitative data revealed, participants were frequent and confident cooks with high food agency. Participants viewed cooking as a key strategy for healthy eating and desired more hands-on cooking instruction within DPP to develop new healthy cooking skills. The primary barriers identified were related to lack of time or energy. Food procurement and preparation practices shifted over time, and DPP was a key influence on current behaviors. Conclusions and ImplicationsFood agency is complex and manifests heterogeneously in daily life. A life course, contextual, and food agency-based approach could be considered for future diabetes prevention interventions.

Local causes of essential medicines shortages from the perspective of supply chain professionals in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundThe global supply chains of essential medicines faced frequent disruptions over the past five years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Different causes of prescription drug supply interruptions have been identified in Saudi Arabia. However, studies have yet to explore the views of pharmaceutical supply chain personnel regarding the causes of these interruptions. Therefore, this study aimed to survey individuals working in the pharmaceutical supply chains about their views on the observed interruptions in the supply of some essential drugs. MethodsThis was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. The 10-item questionnaire was created based on the findings of previously published research that investigated the root causes of essential drug shortages and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chains of essential drugs in Saudi Arabia. Purposive sampling was used to identify individuals with at least one year of experience in the area of the pharmaceutical supply chain, and the data collection occurred between April 19th, 2022 and October 23rd, 2022. In addition, descriptive statistics (e.g., frequencies and percentages) were conducted to present the views of the respondents. ResultsSeventy-nine pharmaceutical supply chain specialists accepted the invitation and completed the questionnaire. About two-thirds (69.62%) of the respondents reported that centralized pharmaceutical procurement negatively affected the supply chain of essential drugs. Procurement of unregistered medications by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), as well as generic drugs with a history of recalls, and failure to supply requested quantities were the three most commonly reported reasons behind the observed interruptions in the supply of some essential drugs according to those respondents with a negative view of the centralized procurement. Furthermore, failure of pharmaceutical companies to inform SFDA of potential drug shortages, manufacturing issues, poor demand forecasting, unpredictable increase in demand, and low prices of essential drugs were also believed to be behind the observed interruptions in the supply of some essential medicines. ConclusionThe majority of surveyed pharmaceutical supply chain professionals held negative views about the role of centralized pharmaceutical procurement in exacerbating the issues with essential medicines supply chain. Future research should examine different strategies to improve purchasing and procurement practices in Saudi Arabia.

Procurement practices, leadership style and employee-perceived service quality towards the perceived public health sector performance in Zimbabwe

The public sector performance can be judged through the ability to deliver expected service to residents within the community. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of leadership style and employee-perceived service quality on perceived public health sector performance. Also, the study sought to understand whether procurement practices mediate the effect of leadership style on perceived service quality. A cross-sectional survey of 380 public health sector employees was conducted in Mashonaland central Province in Zimbabwe between September and October 2022. Structural equation modelling (SEM) in AMOS Version 25 was employed to test research hypotheses. The study established that both leadership style and perceived service quality influence public health sector performance. The study further concluded that procurement practices partially mediate the influence of leadership style on perceived service quality. Also, the study established that employee-perceived service quality partially mediate the influence of procurement practices on perceived public health sector performance. Finally, the study found out that employee-perceived service quality partially mediate the influence of leadership style on perceived public health sector performance.

The Influence of Building Information Modelling Adoption in the Viability of Medium, Small and Micro Scale Construction Firms (MSMSCFs)

Identifying factors influencing the viability of medium, small, and micro scale construction firms (MSMSCFs) is a crucial precursor in positioning such firms to aid economic and infrastructural development, especially in developing countries. This article assesses viability factors that are influenced by building information modeling (BIM) in MSMSCFs amidst construction firms’ viability factors. Out of a total of 177 workers surveyed from 59 MSMSCFs that were awarded construction project contracts in sampled institutions in Nigeria, 65 staff members from 31 MSMSCFs were accessed. The factors were ranked and reduced to significant ones through principal component analysis. Ten significant factors influence the viability of MSMSCFs and six of them are enhanced by BIM implementations. All eight component factors and 18 of the 27 variables with high factor loadings can be influenced by BIM implementation. BIM can potentially curb corruption in construction projects and enhance MSMSCFs’ quality of service, clients’ satisfaction, construction management and technology, professional performance, procurement practices, and prompt payment of work certificates. All stakeholders need to pay prompt attention to factors that can be influenced by BIM to improve the viability of MSMSCFs, thereby hastening BIM adoption and utilization, especially in developing countries.

Governing Defense Procurement: Strengthening the EU’s Defense Technological &amp; Industrial Base

The regulatory framework concerning defense procurement has evolved considerably since the start of the millennium. In addition to the general Public Procurement Directive and the Defense Procurement Directive, the European Commission recently formulated a proposal for a Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). Nonetheless, defense sector particularities continue to produce tensions in public procurement, and significant blind spots remain.In view of policy objectives to strengthen the European Defense Technological &amp; Industrial Base (EDTIB), it is necessary to first study the current state of EU defense procurement. To that end, we perform an analysis of 14,207 EU27-tenders spanning the period 2009-2020. In addition, a case study approach investigates six tender procedures by the Belgian military, establishing material points of note.Key insights include: (1) the number of defense procurement procedures won by third country bidders is limited, (2) tenders won by non-EU27-tenderers are larger and less competitive on average, and (3) an overly strong focus on price efficiency in public procurement award procedures inhibits attaining EDTIB goals. In short, the data shows a chasm between stated policy aims of strengthening the EDTIB through positive action in public procurement, on the one hand, and public procurement practices, on the other.

Engaging the humanitarian marketplace: Values, valuations and the making of humanitarian geographies

This article argues that humanitarian procurement and supply activities create geographies that are underpinned by valuations and the various values these arrange. The article draws from interviews with global procurement, commodity and supply chain leads for European and North American humanitarian organisations providing emergency humanitarian assistance and development programming as to how they engage with values and valuations in their professional practice. The article draws from economic sociology and its focus on valuation as a situated social process to explore how different values are recognised, negotiated and ordered within humanitarian procurement and supply practices. By paying attention to reflections on self-described practice, we can see the importance of standard procurement principles in accommodating different values, economic and normative, and how these organise market arrangements for different goods and services. This approach crucially allows for the possibility for new values to be accommodated (such as sustainability). It also shows the conflicts and strains that arise when existing processes and arrangements that have been legitimised by practice are questioned, namely through the localisation agenda and its reimagining of the values which underpin the flow and control of resources and the challenges this can make to international humanitarian arrangements and the sector’s colonial legacy. The article prompts further thought as to what values will continue to resonate in the sector and which new values will be realised through procurement and supply decisions in the future. The article highlights the importance of thinking with values and valuation processes in the making of humanitarian geographies. By extension, this highlights the importance of diverse theoretical bases for understanding value and valuation as a critical geographical practice.

Overcoming the efficiency paradigm—The challenges of introducing local organic beef in canteens

IntroductionIn recent years, there has been a growing recognition that public canteens can play an important role in supporting the transformation toward sustainable food systems and providing access to sustainable and healthy food for everybody—including the most vulnerable groups of the population. One important way in which canteens can contribute to this transformation is by increasing the share of organic and local products. These new political and public demands contrast with the organizational development of canteens over the past few decades, which has mainly been characterized by an increase in economic efficiency and a reduction in costs. Based on a project that was carried out in the Berlin-Brandenburg region (Germany), this paper exemplifies some of the challenges canteens face in the process of introducing organic and local products.MethodsThe empirical results are based on 31 qualitative interviews with canteen managers and kitchen staff as well as with the processing company involved. In addition, a survey of 500 canteen guests was conducted in the participating canteens.ResultsThe analysis shows that the canteens had to adapt various organizational practices to ensure a healthy and sustainable diet at manageable cost. Introducing local organic beef in the canteens requires close cooperation with local farmers and processors, a change in procurement practices, transparency around the origin of the products, as well as adapted menu planning.DiscussionBased on the empirical results, the paper discusses how these challenges can be met and which supportive measures can be taken on different governance levels. To change entrenched practices, process facilitators who support local cooperation along the value added chain are needed, and practical knowledge and professional training must be provided. The article concludes that there is a great potential to foster a sustainable and healthy diet via public and private canteens if the tension between efficiency and sustainability orientation can be overcome by adapting framework conditions.

Looking Across and Within: Immigration as a Unifying Structural Factor Impacting Cardiometabolic Health and Diet.

Immigration has been identified as an important social determinant of health (SDH), embodying structures and policies that reinforce positions of poverty, stress, and limited social and economic mobility. In the public health literature with regard to diet, immigration is often characterized as an individual-level process (dietary acculturation) and is largely examined in one racial/ethnic subgroup at a time. For this narrative review, we aim to broaden the research discussion by describing SDH common to the immigrant experience and that may serve as barriers to healthy diets. A narrative review of peer-reviewed quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies on cardiometabolic health disparities, diet, and immigration was conducted. Cardiometabolic disease disparities were frequently described by racial/ethnic subgroups instead of country of origin. While cardiovascular disease and obesity risk differed by country of origin, diabetes prevalence was typically higher for immigrant groups vs United States (US)-born individuals. Common barriers to achieving a healthy diet were food insecurity; lack of familiarity with US food procurement practices, food preparation methods, and dietary guidelines; lack of familiarity and distrust of US food processing and storage methods; alternative priorities for food purchasing (eg, freshness, cultural relevance); logistical obstacles (eg, transportation); stress; and ethnic identity maintenance. To improve the health of immigrant populations, understanding similarities in cardiometabolic health disparities, diet, and barriers to health across immigrant communities-traversing racial/ethnic subgroups-may serve as a useful framework. This framework can guide research, policy, and public health practices to be more cohesive, generalizable, and meaningfully inclusive.

Sustainability takes centre stage in public procurement

This article delineates how a shift in the priorities of EU laws can change public procurement’s current centre of gravity from its fixation on the lowest price to that of a more balanced consideration of different societal goals. There is an acknowledgement that public money can meaningfully contribute to support for social justice and the fight against climate change and environmental degradation. To this end, the present EU legal framework, together with more advanced experiences in Italy and in a few other EU Member States, are illustrated before an analysis of the many initiatives currently under consideration by the EU law makers as per the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Products Initiative. The article then highlights the need to reconsider the theory of public procurement law and practice as well as the current EU legislative framework for public procurement (and concessions).