Sustainable Procurement Research Articles

Sustainable public procurement as a form of support for social economy entities in Poland

Sustainable public procurement pursuing additional social objectives may serve as an effective instrument of support for the social economy sector, which is particularly significant in Poland since it suffers from a low level of social entrepreneurship. This paper focuses on the analysis of implementation of sustainable public procurement as a means of support for the social economy sector in Poland. It discusses the legal development of sustainable public procurement, achieved by introducing the specific legal regulations in the form of social clauses and presenting the results of the research concerning the practical application of socially responsible public procurement as the support tool for social economy entities.

Sustainable procurement practices in the supplier selection process: an exploratory study in the context of Brazilian manufacturing companies

PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate the adoption of sustainable procurement practices adopted by Brazilian manufacturing companies in supplier selection; additionally, it is aimed to understand which of these practices enable a better differentiation of the analysed companies.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review was performed to compose the theoretical base of this research. In addition, a detailed study of ISO 20400 standard was conducted. The guidelines of ISO 20400 were used as a base to structure a questionnaire used in a survey with professionals working in procurement sphere of manufacturing companies in Brazil. The data were analysed via frequency and CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) method.FindingsA moderate dispersion in the adoption level of sustainable procurement practices in supplier selection process of the manufacturing companies was observed; in practices associated with social aspects, the dispersion is greater. A negative issue to be highlighted is that almost 20% of analysed companies did not even considered in their supplier selection process if their candidates accomplish philanthropic activities, generate jobs in local community and fulfill the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of United Nations (UN). Those two last practices are the ones with the best capacity to differ the companies in the sample.Originality/valueThere are few studies that focuses on understanding the adoption of sustainable procurement practices in manufacturing companies' supplier selection process. The main contribution of this study to the literature is to evidence that social requirements in supplier selection process are considered in a clear and well-structured form only by few Brazilian manufacturing companies. Despite the sample size, companies analysed in this research are prominent organisations in manufacturing sector. Thus, if this situation occurs in these companies, a more critical scenario will be evidenced in other organisations. This study has implication for practice and academy. For companies' managers, information present here can be used to debate the theme in the organisational context and the nine practices and scale can be used to perform a critical analysis of company's practices. For researchers, the information present here can be used as starting point for futures studies.

The Impact of Sustainable Procurement on Environment: A Three Country Data Analysis

This study investigates the impacts and inter-relations between sustainable procurement and environment empirically by utilizing panel data. Past studies, particularly on the econometric specifications, are inserted. Carbon emission is considered as an environmental factor and government expenditure as sustainability indicator is analyzed. The outcome indicates that sustainable procurement has a negative impact on carbon emission as well as having a poor relationship. Additionally, other explanatory variables show negative effect and relationship. Utilizing the Fixed and Random effects approach of estimating, the results add up to the knowledge on the impact of sustainable procurement on environment to some extent and confirming the indirect impacts and relationships. The Hausman test was affected to ascertain the suitable method for estimation. The final result shows the indirect relationship and impact of sustainable procurement, including all other variables employed. The Random effects method was set to be the approachable method of evaluation for this examination.

ESTABLISHING GOOD GOVERNANCE THROUGH VALUE IMPLEMENTATION OF MONEY PRINCIPLES IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT POLICY CONTEXT

This study aimed to review the application of Value for Money principles in public procurement policy to establish good governance in Indonesia. This research used a normative legal method using library research with legal and historical approaches. The results of this study showed that the implementation of Value for Money in public procurement policy is urgent to be applied, which is to encourage the good public procurement practice and produce the right goods/services based on quality, quantity, time, cost, location, and provider aspects; increase the efficiency of the use of public money, which can suppress budget leaks; improve the effectiveness of state financial management; improve the effectiveness and quality of public services; realize a clean government. Arrangements regarding Value for Money in public procurement policy are very clear by the application of e-procurement and utilization of e-marketplace; sustainable procurement; and the use of domestic products. This research also indicated the real relevance of the implementation of Value for Money principles in public procurement policy to establish good governance in Indonesia.

POTENTIAL FACTORS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT IN ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

The Indonesian government has promoted the sustainable procurement method regarding the selection of professional planning consultants and main contractors to construct sustainable road infrastructure projects. However, sustainable procurement practice continues to make it difficult to select service providers considering their lack of knowledge and expertise in sustainable infrastructure projects. This paper performs a literature review which includes a review of the government rules and identifies the factors which influence successfully adopting sustainable procurement in Indonesian road infrastructure projects. The review, including lesson learned from other countries, suggests factors which can promote the successful implementation of sustainable procurement: environmentally friendly specifications, producing economical goods and services during the project lifecycle, empowering local societies and small industries, reducing negative impacts on health, air, water, and soil, implementing public-private partnership or private finance initiative methods for a better partnership between the public and private sectors, and requiring assessment methods to initiate and implement sustainable procurement from pre-project planning to project delivery. The review will provide practical knowledge among road infrastructure projects’ stakeholders, hence significantly affecting the adoption of the sustainable procurement process throughout the road infrastructure project lifecycle, as an example.

Barriers to achieving sustainable construction project procurement in the private sector

Abstract Sustainable procurement management (SPM) as an approach to integrating sustainability into project procurement takes into account the social, ecological, and economical consequences of procurement decisions. Several challenges hinder the proper achievement of SPM objectives in the construction industry. Previous studies have delved into such barriers in the public sector while the private sector is still less explored and requires further in-depth investigation. Regarding limited research in this area, the purpose of this study is to identify barriers hindering SPM in the private sector through an empirical study. A case study analysis based on interviews was conducted to solicit the viewpoints of construction professionals in a high-profile construction organization. Two categories of intra-organizational and extra-organizational barriers were identified; The intra-organizational barriers relate to the mechanisms, resources, and capacities within an organization while extra-organizational barriers relate to a broader environment in which an organization interacts with stakeholders in an integrated supply chain. The findings provide an improved understanding of SPM obstacles and shed light on the possible solutions, which can be used by both academics and practitioners to improve the current status of SPM practice.

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND ABANDONMENT

The Nigerian Government is developing infrastructure guided by the United Nations (UN) call for sustainable development. However, uncompleted government infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings, dams and others) projects litter the entire landscape of the country. This research investigates the causes of infrastructure abandonment in Nigeria through literature review and distribution of questionnaire. It also posits possible solutions to the menace of abandoned infrastructure. Findings from the literature review revealed inefficient procurement processes, defective design, cost overrun, and changes in government (election). From 129 questionnaire distributed to Architects, Engineers, Project Managers, Surveyors, Builders and Construction Procurement Personnel in the built environment both in the public and private sectors in Nigeria, 80 responses were received and analysed with SPSS Pearson Correlation Analysis. The findings from the survey showed that inadequate planning, change in government, faulty procurement, corruption and politics are some of the causes of abandonment. “Changing procurement method” ranked highest in the recommendation for addressing the abandoned infrastructure projects followed by designing with deconstructability in mind. Amongst other recommendations are using innovative management tools and refurbishment of abandoned projects. This research is imperative for the revitalisation of abandoned infrastructure environmentally, economically, and socially and the integration of innovative management tools for the future sustainable procurement of infrastructure.

Examining the Relationship between the Economic Performance of Technology-Based Small Suppliers and Socially Sustainable Procurement

Sustainable public procurement plays an important role in addressing not only environmental but also economic and social issues through government acquisitions from technology-based small suppliers. In this context, the objective of this study is to better understand the holistic public procurement process by assessing the operational efficiency of technology-based small suppliers and associating the economic aspect of public procurement with the social aspect, such as women-owned businesses. To this end, we analyzed U.S. Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research grantees by combining network data envelopment analysis with bootstrap truncated regression analysis. Drawing on the analysis results, we found that (1) there is heterogeneity in the performance of research and development, network building, and commercialization sub-processes, and (2) there is a positive relationship between the overall performance and women-owned small suppliers who excel particularly in network building. The former implies that small suppliers may have different expertise in the chain of public procurement; the latter suggests that woman entrepreneurs with a business network may be able to outperform their counterparts in the public procurement market.

Developing Sustainable Procurement System based on Enterprise Resource Planning

The manufacturing industry is an industry that pays attention to every stage of the production process. One of which is the leather industry. However, the business processes for procuring goods, selecting suppliers, making purchase documents, and others are done manually without using an integrated system so that business processes are not properly monitored. Besides, the leather industry is also environmentally unfriendly because the waste produced can pollute the environmental ecosystem. A system is needed to monitor and integrate the business processes with environmentally friendly standards based on these problems. This research focuses on developing a system based on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for the procurement department by applying sustainable procurement. Sustainable procurement is a procurement practice that ensures the goods purchased conform to environmentally friendly attributes that can minimize the impact of hazards on the environment. This study also aims to design a system for monitoring the procurement business process. Therefore, an analysis will be carried out to determine the Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This data will be displayed on the dashboard to show and compare the company's performance. The results of this study are the design of a sustainable procurement system and a dashboard based on ERP.

The job-seeking experiences of migrants and refugees in the Australian construction industry

ABSTRACT International migrant and refugee numbers are at record levels and continue to grow. The construction industry is a major source of potential employment for migrants and refugees and emerging social and sustainable procurement policies in many parts of the world are also requiring construction supply chains to employ refugees and migrants as a condition of public sector contracts. However, there is virtually no research into the barriers that refugees and migrants face in seeking decent employment in the construction sector. Addressing this important gap in knowledge an exploratory survey of refugees' and migrants' job-seeking experiences in the Australian construction industry is presented. Results show that by far the greatest barrier to employment is lack of construction industry experience, followed by poor recognition of previous skills and experience. Recent migrants and refugees and those with the greatest previous experience of working in construction face the greatest barriers in finding decent work. Men from an Arabic background also experience greater difficulties than other cultural groups. It is recommended that policy-makers develop more initiatives to provide work experience and engage with construction employers about the challenges which refugees and migrants face in finding work in construction.

A Holistic Assessment of Construction and Demolition Waste Management in the Nigerian Construction Projects

This study provides a holistic assessment of the current waste management strategies implemented in Nigerian construction projects. The data used in this study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data were collected through survey questionnaires distributed via emails of the targeted respondents who are construction professionals in the study area of Lagos metropolis, while the secondary data were collected via the review of related literature. Out of the 200 questionnaires distributed, only 168 valid forms were retrieved. The collected data accounted for 84% of the entire survey and were suitable for the analysis. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted while the reliability of the research survey instrument was tested using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient reliability. The result indicated that the waste management strategies were clustered into three groups, comprising practical legal framework and modular construction, sustainable procurement and material optimisation, and proper construction detailing and design. In conclusion, the waste management strategies implemented in Nigeria were assessed as being “not sustainable enough”. However, it is recommended that there is an upgrading in either the approach or method of application of waste management strategies in order to ensure its sustainability.

A Systematic Review of Environmental Sustainability in Veterinary Practice

A transition toward environmentally conscious business practices is underway in many sectors. For healthcare, the topic is both concerning and tragically ironic as hospitals have substantial environmental footprints, which are now known to contribute to significant health problems that the system itself was designed to treat. The human medical field has been proactive in taking steps to reduce waste and carbon emissions by identifying best practices to minimize such impacts. Characterization of needs and gaps has been addressed through reviews of the literature regarding environmental sustainability in the context of human hospitals. Our objective was to replicate methods used in a recent review of environmental sustainability in human hospitals to summarize information available to clinical veterinarians. Two search algorithms were used across 8 databases, however only 3 peer-reviewed opinion articles specific to veterinary medicine were identified. These papers included 1 on anesthesia and 2 on production animals. Interestingly, all articles were written by United Kingdom-based authors and none were specific to companion animal practice, the largest sector in the veterinary industry in the United States. Results of this review highlight need for research and communication that supports veterinary clinics in adopting more environmentally sustainable practices. Proposed starting points informed from research in other sectors, including 5 physical themes of energy efficiency, water, waste, sustainable procurement, and transportation, and human behavior changes on the individual, group, and organizational levels, are discussed. Additional work is needed to support veterinarians and other animal health professionals to practice medicine in a way that upholds the veterinary profession's oath to promote the health of animals, the public, and the environment we all share.

Construction of KPI-based motivation policy for advancing sustainable procurement logistics of agricultural enterprises: competence approach

In challenging economic conditions, motivational mechanisms capable of maintaining sustainable logistics management of agricultural enterprises are declining. This study aims to specify the forms of connecting the motivational policy, KPI and sustainable logistics of agricultural enterprises. As a result of theoretical research, we have proved that the competencies of logistics managers can be the appropriate connector. We have considered the hypothesis that there are key competencies that logistics managers recognize as the most important and most often implemented for advancing sustainable procurement logistics. To confirm the hypothesis, we collected data from interviews with logistics managers of Ukrainian agricultural enterprises. To process the data, we used the method of integrated ABC-XYZ analysis. As a result, we found that the AX group (the most important and frequently used competencies) includes the high general qualification and the ability to assess the effectiveness of logistics operations and processes objectively. Unlike other studies, the novelty of the presented results is as follows. We advocate the idea of the motivational influence of performance indicators and propose to form KPI system taking into account the importance and frequency of using the established competencies of logistics managers. Our proposals are a prerequisite for developing a flexible motivational policy for sustainable procurement logistics

The Impact of Responsibility Delegation on Policy and Practice Implementation: A Contingency Approach

Policy and practice implementation is an issue of enduring importance to scholars, public managers, and citizens alike. The expansion and maturation of literature bring in a discussion on whether government agencies can effectively improve policy and practice implementation by delegating employees with certain authority, discretion, and responsibility. To provide some insights for the debate and fill the lacuna, the present paper leverages a contingency approach to explore how the impact of responsibility delegation on implementation effectiveness is conditioned on the government’s internal arrangement. Using the implementation of sustainable procurement policy and practice as an empirical example and drawing on a nationwide survey data of more than 400 cities, the study finds that the strategy of responsibility delegation can reach its full potential when the government’s structure or culture encourages employee initiative. The finding implies an aspect for fruitful future research in public management seeking to explain the impact of managerial strategies on implementation effectiveness. The study also contributes to the growing evidence that provides public managers with a basis for developing or selecting their managerial choices of policy and practice implementation.

Inhalational anaesthetics, ozone depletion, and greenhouse warming: the basics and status of our efforts in environmental mitigation.

Following their use for medicinal purposes, volatile inhalational anaesthetic agents are expelled into the atmosphere where they contribute to anthropogenic climate change. We describe recent evidence examining the benefits and harms associated with their use. The environmental harms associated with desflurane and nitrous oxide likely outweigh any purported clinical benefits. Life cycle analyses are beginning to address the many gaps in our understanding, and informing choices made on all aspects of anaesthetic care. There is, however, an urgent need to move beyond the debate about anaesthetic technique A vs. B and focus also on areas such as sustainable procurement, waste management, pharmacological stewardship and joined-up solutions. There is now compelling evidence that anaesthetists, departments and hospitals should avoid desflurane completely, and limit nitrous oxide use to settings where there is no viable alternative, as their environmental harms outweigh any perceived clinical benefit. Life cycle analyses seem supportive of total intravenous and/or regional anaesthesia. There are many other areas where choices can be made by individual anaesthetists that contribute towards reducing the environmental burden of healthcare, such as prioritising the reduction of inappropriate resource use and over-treatment. However, this all requires joined up solutions where all parts of an organisation engage.

The Effects of Top Management in Adoption of SustainableProcurement Practices in Kenya

Globally, organizations are reviewing their procurement operations and processes to be in line with sustainable development goals. Sustainable procurement is about socially and ethically responsible purchasing, minimizing environmental impacts through supply chain, delivering economically sound solutions and business practice. Research has shown that sustainable procurement comes with many benefits such as reduced costs among others. Despite these benefits, most public organizations especially in developing countries like Kenya are yet to adopt sustainability into their procurement processes . This study assessed the involvement of top managers in adopting sustainable procurement practices in Kenya. Specifically, the study: established the extent of top management commitment towards adoption of sustainable procurement management practices in the government of Kenya. The study was grounded on stakeholder and institutional organizational theories. Descriptive and correlation research designs were adopted. Data were collected from 143 respondents who received the questioners using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. In the value of 1-5, 1 stood for strongly disagree, 2 stood for disagree, 3 stood for neutral, 4 stood for agree while 5 stood for strongly agree. Validity was tested using experts’ opinions while Cronbach’s alpha ( a = 0.736) indicated that the questionnaire was reliable. Findings indicate that most procurement departments have adopted sustainability in procurement and that there was positive correlation between top management commitment (mean = 4.05; r = 0.490), and adoption of sustainable procurement practices in the country of study. The study concluded that organizations should come up with policies on sustainable procurement and continuously monitor their supply chains to ensure that only materials that meet acceptable minimum sustainability criteria are accepted.

Addressing the Role of Sustainable Public Procurement as a Panacea for Sustainable Development in the Local Government Areas: The Episode of Nigeria

The coronavirus has displaced local communities across the nation as their livelihood is compromised. This study explores extensively the challenges confronting sustainable public procurement in the local government areas that bothers sustainable development amid COVID-19. This study conducted semi-structured interviews with eight procurement experts from eight leading local government areas with documented evidence of extensive procurement activity across four geopolitical zones of Nigeria to obtain primary data. Findings from this study suggest a tremendous decline in the livelihood of the rural communities amid the pandemic and ridicule of local government procurement practice across the region. The study also finds a significant level of interference by the state government that continually denies the local government administration from attaining sustainable development compared to their counterparts in the developed societies. Keywords: Sustainable public procurement, Sustainable development, Local government areas, COVID-19, Sub-Saharan Africa – Nigeria DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-8-01 Publication date: April 30 th 2021

Developing an Optimum Material Procurement Schedule by Integrating Construction Program and Budget Using NSGA-II

Procuring the correct materials at the right time and for the lowest cost is essential in construction. This fact underlines the importance of an optimized material procurement schedule integrated with the construction schedule/program. However, few studies examine the development of a material procurement schedule by integrating the construction schedule and optimizing material costs as well as any material shortage impact. In addition, budget constraints and maximum storage capacity are rarely captured in existing models for material procurement optimization. To address these shortcomings, an optimization model is developed using the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) and executed in MATLAB R2017a. This model was implemented in a construction project that developed a material delivery schedule based on the budget constraints and maximum storage capacity for five majorly used building materials, resulting in a costs saving of 31.17% and a reduction in shortage impact of 83.47% compared with the actual delivery schedule. The developed model also incorporates the minimum order quantity and standard shipping size as well as avoiding surplus materials, leading to sustainable procurement of materials. Construction practitioners can use this model for procuring materials when facing budget constraints in a construction project with the lowest cost and least shortage and without excess or insufficient purchasing. The model will aid in completing the project within the stipulated time and budgeted cost.

Implementing Sustainable Procurement Strategy in the Oil and Gas Sector

The considerable environmental concerns and limited resources have prompted oil and gas companies to incorporate effective sustainable practices into their procurement strategy. This study aims to assess and prioritise critical internal and external organisational factors, and innovative capabilities, and their respective sub-criteria for the implementation of sustainable procurement (SP). Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is employed to prioritise the main factors and subfactors that can critically affect the implementation of SP strategies in the context of the UAE's oil and gas companies. Data were collected through a survey wherein 10 senior executives in procurement departments of two oil and gas companies reveal the internal factors are the highest and innovation capability is the lowest ranked criterion. Leadership is the highest ranked sub-criteria of internal factors, while ethical and ecological environment as the most prioritised one in external factors. Technology adoption is to be the most important sub-criteria amongst innovation capabilities.

Sustainability Certification and Green Public Procurement: Ideals and Outcomes in a New Jersey School District

The implementation of sustainability and green public procurement (GPP) initiatives in school districts has been the subject of some debate; questions over definitions and programme goals have led to inconsistency and concerns about programme achievements. The legitimacy of programmes rests not only with the announcement of policy by officials, but with adherence to policy and staff buy-in. This study examines barriers districts face, and makes recommendations based upon district experience on ways to successfully implement sustainability and GPP initiatives. A review of the literature on GPP and legitimacy in the execution of public functions within the education domain begins the study. Major components relative to best practices for GPP programmes are studied through the review of GPP-related documents from a school district in New Jersey considered as an exemplar of such programmes. Analysis of an interview with the district’s representatives suggests that, despite the normative approval such programmes receive, and widespread understanding of the rationale for pursuing such initiatives, there remain critical failings in implementation of these programmes, stemming from education, resourcing of initiatives and prioritization of green procurement in relation to other district priorities. The study concludes with lessons learned from this case, which is important given its positioning within New Jersey as an exemplar and recommendations for future research where work in this area is needed.