Measuring procurement performance in Europe

The European Commission has begun to measure procurement performance in countries belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA). Performance is understood in terms of practices designed to maximize value for money (VfM). This paper reports on the performance measurement system currently in use and what the European Commission’s own data tells us about contemporary procurement practices in EEA countries. It explains the methodology devised by the European Commission to operationalize and measure procurement performance at country level. It then reveals which European countries are above average, average or below average in the performance assessment. There follows some discussion on progress made to date in making public procurement more effective across the EEA. The paper alights on priorities for the future

Grieving the loss of a public contract: De La Rue and the Brexit Passport

Purpose This paper aims to examine how firms react to the loss of a major government contract. Reactions to contract loss are yet to be properly studied in public procurement. Design/methodology/approach The hypothesis is that contract loss triggers a five-stage grieving process, as predicted by the Kubler-Ross model. The hypothesis is tested using the recent UK passport contract in which the British supplier, De La Rue, lost to the Franco-Dutch supplier, Gemalto. Secondary data from corporate publications, news reporting, parliamentary debates and trade union press releases is used to compile the case. Findings The findings show that De La Rue and its supporters passed through the five stages of grief in response to their loss. De La Rue initially exhibited denial by vowing to appeal the decision. Next came anger directed at the UK Government. An attempt to bargain was made during the standstill period. Depression set in after De La Rue admitted it would not appeal. Finally, acceptance was indicated by De La Rue pursuing new opportunities in the product authentication market

Global Information Systems: Problems, Solutions, and How to Manage Them

The rapid changes in Information Technology (IT) have helped U.S. companies grow into Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and have been the driving force in the building and operation of global Information Systems (IS). Present training in the U.S. in Management Information Systems (MIS) has focused on building the IS within the country. When MNCs expand the IS globally, a whole series of new problems must be faced. These include different cultures, languages, currencies, laws, as well as the amount of money spent on IS and IT. Different levels of competency are found in different countries and both IS and IT education may vary greatly. In order to solve these problems IS managers must begin to think globally, yet become more aware of each local situation and be willing to accept a less than perfect solution. Top management of MNCs must be aware of the strain that is placed on the IS manager who has to solve these problems while coping with the constantly changing IT and yet must build an IS that will keep the company competitive. Educational reform is needed to meet this challenge. Multinational corporations, rather than domestic ones, should become the norm for all management studies. IS managers will tend to be less technical but must then have help from both technical and legal assistants

A model based approach for the characterisation of radiolabelled antibodies in radioimmunotherapy

Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) utilises antibodies directed against tumour associated antigens to carry a therapeutic dose of radiation to the tumour. Using RIT, model tumours have been successfully treated and yet clinical responses have been limited by poor tumour localisation. In an attempt to overcome this, many new antibodies have been developed. Measuring the gross tumour localisation and tumour to normal tissue ratio in animal models has generally been used to assess the potential clinical use of these antibodies. However, these measurements assume all the energy from the electron emitted from the radionuclide is deposited in the source organ, and also ignore the effects of dose-rate and cell proliferation during treatment. In addition, they do not consider the effects of heterogeneous dose deposition and response within the tissues. The principal purpose of this thesis is to develop a more accurate measure of the biological effect of radiolabelled antibodies in a mouse xenograft in order to select the optimal radionuclide/antibody combination for more effective therapy in man. A structural model has been developed from mouse data to facilitate more accurate absorbed dose calculations by accounting for organ size, shape, and position relative to surrounding organs. In addition, the linear-quadratic model, conventionally used in external beam radiotherapy, has been adapted for use in RIT to account for the effects of dose-rate and proliferation during treatment. To characterise heterogeneity of dose deposition and response in tumours, images of tumour morphology and radiolabelled antibody distribution were registered. The images were obtained through digitisation of stained histological sections and storage phosphor plate technology. All data was collected using a wide range of antibodies labelled with 131I and 90Y. These models show that multivalent, tumour-specific antibodies, with intermediate clearance rates, deliver the most effective dose to xenografts. Antibody affinity and avidity facilitate the prolonged retention in radiosensitive areas of tumour where most of the dose is deposited. In addition, a significantly greater activity of 131I can be injected before causing the equivalent bone marrow toxicity. Furthermore, when antibodies are labelled with 90Y, a significant amount of the electron energy escapes the source organ and is absorbed in surrounding tissue. Nevertheless, the results clearly show that radionuclide and antibody should be matched in order to deliver optimum therapy

Theory in public procurement research

This paper examines the role of theory in public procurement research. Theoretical rigour is integral to management science, yet little is known on the extent and form of theory in public procurement. With the field starting to mature, addressing this issue is timely. From conducting a systematic literature review we find that 29 percent of articles are theoretically grounded, with the incidence of theory having increased in recent years. Economic, sociological, psychological, and management theories are all in evidence, but micro-economic theories predominate. Our findings also show that survey reporting and case studies account for almost half of all studies; procurement research is focused on organizational-level aspects more than regulatory-policy issues or public buyers; and studies to date have largely emanated from the North American and European regions. The contribution of this paper lies in clarifying the theoretical underpinnings of public procurement. Out of this we highlight the need for greater theoretical rigour, point to the under-use and even absence of theories that could have high validity and utility, and suggest a narrowing of research foci

Investigating the effect of tendering capabilities on SME activity and performance in public contract competitions

Barriers to SME participation in public procurement have been the focus of research for many years. Much less attention has been paid to the predictors of SME success. This paper examines the role that tendering capabilities - relational and procedural - play in explaining SME activity and performance in public contract competitions. Analysis of primary survey data from 3010 SMEs supports a capability-based perspective. Procedural capability has a significant effect on number of tenders submitted and value of contract sought. Relational capability does not. However, procedural and relational capability each has a significant and positive effect on contract win-ratio and percentage of total revenue derived from public contracts. For SMEs, these findings underline the importance of investing in tendering skills and devising buyer engagement strategies. Enterprise support agencies and public sector organisations can play their part through the provision of targeted training programmes and better communication with SME suppliers respectively

The rhetoric and reality of SMEfriendly procurement

Small- and medium-sized enterprise-friendly policies are central to public procurement. The extent to which these policies have been put into practice has gone largely untested. To address this gap, a survey of SMEs’ reported experiences of policy implementation was conducted. Ireland served as the research context. Policy implementation was found to be limited. Company size was a significant predictor of SMEs’ experiences, with micro-enterprises more negative than small or medium-sized enterprises. The authors explain the policy– practice divide and make recommendations for improvement

Firms’ experience of SME-friendly policy and their participation and success in public procurement

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to test the relationship between firms’ experience of SME-friendly policy and their participation and success in public procurement. Methodology – Hypothesised relationships between SME-friendly policy and three outcome variables - frequency of tendering, success rate in public contract competitions, and commercial orientation towards the public sector - are tested using survey data from 2755 SME respondents. Findings – SME-friendly policy is found to be significant in explaining success rates and commercial orientation towards the public sector marketplace. It is not significant in explaining frequency of tendering. Originality – This study puts forward and tests an original model of SME-friendly procurement policy and its associated outcomes for firms. It develops a comprehensive 16-item instrument to measure SME-friendly procurement policy. It uses SMEs as research informants instead of public buyers. Limitations – The context for the study is Ireland. However, given institutional similarities in national public procurement regimes, particularly among EU Member States, the findings have relevance beyond the Irish context. The research design is cross-sectional and so does not allow for any causal claims to be made