Effective sourcing in the public sector is a collaborative and strategic process that does not end when the contract or purchase order is executed. As an ongoing process of improvement, strategic sourcing requires regular appraisals of procurement activities to ensure they continue to support the goals of the entity. Strategic Sourcing in the Public Sector explains the theory behind sourcing. Why does sourcing need to be strategic, and what are the stakeholders’ roles in the process? Written to complement the Institute of Public Procurement’s (NIGP) Sourcing and Solicitation curriculum, this book explores the impetus or the “why” behind the sourcing process as well as the “how”. The book walks the reader through all of the important considerations for any sourcing process, including requirements analysis, stakeholder involvement, scope of work, sourcing documents and approvals, and supplier relationship management to name a few. Throughout the book, students and practicing professionals are encouraged to apply principles of procurement to diverse situations. Because of its user-friendly language and approach, Strategic Sourcing in the Public Sector is accessible to those new to the procurement profession, individuals seeking certification, and undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in public administration programs. At the same time, the rich content based on NIGP’s public procurement competency framework provides value for seasoned professionals with substantial experience and specialized knowledge.

Legal Aspects of Public Procurement, Third Edition provides a glimpse into the relationships between the legal, ethical, and professional standards of public procurement, outlining not only the interconnections of federal, state, and local law but also best practice under comprehensive judicial standards. The book addresses the ever-changing legal structures that work in conjunction and define the public procurement profession, providing recommended guidance for how practitioners can engage in the function while staying ethically aligned. Instead of trying to address every issue at the heart of public procurement, however, the book seeks to establish the history and spirit of the law, outlining how practitioners can engage proactively and willingly to not only perform their function, but to also become advocates for procurement law modernization. This third edition features new chapters on competitive sealed proposals and contract administration, as well as a thoroughly revised and updated chapter on procurement of information technology to better relate to an increasingly digital world. Promoting a start-to-finish guidance of the procurement process, Legal Aspects of Public Procurement explores the relationships between solicitation, proposals, contract administration, and the cutting-edge aspects of technology procurements, providing a theoretical and case-study driven foundation for novice and veteran practitioners alike.

American state and local governments spend roughly $3.5 trillion dollars annually fulfilling the community and governmental needs of public procurement. As governments continue to rely on the support of private sector resources and subject matter experts, mastering RFP solicitations is a critical skill required of every public procurement professional. Designed to provide a strategic overview of the skills and traits necessary to fulfill the procurement function against best value policy, this book thoroughly examines the foundational knowledge and skills needed by those who choose competitive negotiations as the best and most appropriate form for a given solicitation. Developing and Managing Requests for Proposals in the Public Sectorexplores the complex and ever-changing process of competitive negotiations by providing hands-on guidance for practitioners to successfully achieve the best value for their entity, as well for the taxpayer. While rules, ordinances, policies, practices, and procedures vary among entities, the book breaks down the basic steps involved in the competitive negotiation process, providing best practice guidance for public procurement professionals to help them navigate the formidable and exacting process successfully, fairly, and with transparency. This book is required reading for every public procurement professional, and will be recommended reading for all public procurement courses and certificate programs.

The OECD Principles for Integrity in Public Procurement are a ground-breaking instrument that promotes good governance in the entire procurement cycle, from needs assessment to contract management.

Sourcing Strategy is about sourcing as a long term strategic activity. Myopic purchasing management stops short with describing functional procedures and procedural innovations such as online order processing. The goal of this book is not merely to document sourcing strategy, but to provide the tools to determine it. Therefore, rather than merely describe common sourcing processes, the book takes a normative approach to sourcing strategy. It argues for a rational, complete and integrated process view. It supports its recommendations with logical arguments from an interdisciplinary and analytical approach grounded in microeconomics, law and business strategy. Part 1 of the book explains the economic and business principles that underlie sourcing strategies. It derives policies that guide viable strategies to meet sourcing goals. Part 2 applies these to creative designs for standard sourcing scenarios.

The performance of governments around the globe is constantly in the spotlight, whether as a celebration or indictment of their activities. Providing evidence on strategies to improve the performance of public agencies is therefore essential to the practice of public management. Originally published in 2006, this important contribution to the debate explores issues of measurement, research methodology, and management influences on performance. It focuses on three key questions: what approaches should be adopted to measure the performance of public agencies? What aspects of management influence the performance of public agencies? As the world globalizes, what are the key international issues in performance measurement and management? In examining these questions, the contributors debate both methodological and technical issues regarding the measurement of performance in public organizations, and provide empirical analyses of the determinants of performance. The book concludes with groundbreaking work on the international dimensions of these issues.

Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to controlling sources of bias and error.