I was asked to record three short (and provocative) presentations on some procurement regulatory trends seen from a competition lens. I thought this could be of some interest, so I am sharing them here. The three presentations and the three sets of slides should be available through the links below. Please email me (a.sanchez-graells@bristol.ac.uk) in case of any technical difficulty accessing them, or with any feedback. I hope to start some discussion through the comments section, so please feel free to participate!
1. Transparent procurement: some reflections on its inherent tensions
This short presentation reflects on the tensions between transparency and competition in procurement, with a particular focus on the heightened risks posed by the 'open contracting' movement. It advocates a more nuanced approach to the regulation of procurement transparency in the age of big data [slides].
2. Smart, streamlined procurement: too high hopes for procurement?
This presentation discusses some of the implications and risks resulting from recent regulatory trends in public procurement, from a competition perspective. It focuses on procurement centralisation and the use of procurement to deliver horizontal policies as two of the most salient regulatory trends. It stresses the need for more effective oversight of these more complex forms of procurement [slides].
3. Effective procurement oversight: what to look for & who should do it?
This presentation addresses some of the challenges in creating an effective procurement oversight system. It concentrates on the availability of high quality data, its access by relevant institutions and stakeholders, and the need for a joined up and collaborative approach where multiple entities have oversight powers/duties. It pays particular attention the need for collaboration between contracting authorities and competition authorities [slides].
