The sixth workshop of the International Research Study on Public Procurement (IRSPP).The workshop was held in The Hague in the Netherlands, November 20-21, 2015. 

The theme of this sixth International Research Study workshop was:

Using Public Procurement as a Strategic Lever for achieving Community Benefits

This research aimed to provide a set of policy and practice outcomes of assistance to public policy practitioners, and to explore the possibilities beyond straightforward cost containment (achieving savings). Topics covered ranged from attracting the right suppliers to delivering the goods, service and works, all to ensure that public procurement becomes a lever to positively impact society by adding value in terms of sustainability, regional development, innovation, job creation and other policy or development objectives.

Before the workshop, the participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire outlining the approaches taken or tried in their respective countries. These outlines were collated and analysed by the research team prior to the workshop and the findings were used to structure the workshop discussions.

During the three day workshop, senior practitoners exchanged positive [and negative] experiences about implementing different approaches to procurement and within different situations. Project outlines were shared and discussed by the participants in small groups.

After the workshop, a summary and conclusions were prepared by the research team. Aside from the common factors identified, a key outcome was that each nation had a different strategic priority, i.e., reducing unemployment, increasing the number of business start ups, or reducing the cost of healthcare, etc.

Workshop Sponsors

We are grateful to the following organisations for their sponsorship, without which the workshop could not have taken place.