News

Call for Papers: "Integrity and Efficiency in Sustainable Public Contracts"

racca@econ.unito.it (Gabriella Racca) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:49:01 GMT

CALL FOR PAPERS:

Integrity and Efficiency in Sustainable Public Contracts
Corruption, conflict of interests, favoritism and inclusion of non-economic criteria in public contracts

TURIN, June 8, 2012
A Workshop Sponsored by the Comparative Law Network
Public Contracts in Legal Globalization
http://www.public-contracts.net/inhalte/seminars.asp

The workshop seeks to develop more effective tools and solutions for the future, and so papers challenging traditional schemes, and adopting more multi-disciplinary approaches, are strongly encouraged. Papers should, if possible, address the following issues:

The fairness and objectivity of contract award: Preventing fraud and collusion
- Requirements for economic operators
- Selection criteria
- Methods for evaluating value for money
- Life-long cycle costing and its evaluation
- Environmental and social criteria
- The accountability of the award process
- Identifying bid rigging during evaluation
- The role of losing bidders and civil society oversight
- Conflicts of interest in bid evaluation and their remedies
- Codes of conduct
- Best value for money vs. "social best value"
- Verifiable and non-verifiable quality dimensions

Obtaining optimal contract performance
- Measuring success in sustainable procurement
- Assessing and reporting the quality of contractor performance
- Controlling compliance with contract performance clauses
- Ensuring quality at delivery
- Contract amendments and renegotiation
- Cancellation and retendering
- Audit mechanisms
- Sanctions for misconduct
- Complex contracting forms (e.g., Public-Private Partnerships)

An abstract of max 800 words should be sent by May 15, 2012, and the draft paper is due by June, 1, 2012. The aim of the workshop is to prepare a collective book. A table of contents will be available soon and will be discussed during the workshop.

Scientific Direction
Gabriella M. Racca (University of Turin) and Christopher Yukins (George Washington University)
Contact: gabriella.racca@unito.it

Scientific Committee  
Gian Luigi Albano (Consip, the Italian Public Procurement Agency), Jean Bernard Auby (SciencesPo. Paris), Martin Burgi (University of Bochum/University of Munich, GE), Roberto Cavallo Perin (University of Turin), Bernardo Mattarella (University of Siena), Albert Sanchez Graells (University of Hull)

Conference Organization in TURIN
Silvia Ponzio and Stefano Osella

Contact: racca.gabriella@gmail.com

For the workshop objectives, please refer to the event item on this website.

Recently published book entitled "Inter-organisational Information Systems and Business Management: Theories for Researchers"

kishor.vaidya@canberra.edu.au (Kishor Vaidya) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:29:32 GMT

"Inter-organisational Information Systems and Business Management: Theories for Researchers" (ed. Kishor Vaidya) has recently been published by IGI Global, USA.

The book contains chapters on public procurement, public e-procurement and business management.

Please refer to the link below for details:
http://www.igi-global.com/book/inter-organizational-information-systems-business/49575

Announcement and Call for Papers - Public Procurement: Global Revolution VI Conference, 24-25 June 2013

ptrepte@globalnet.co.uk (Peter Trepte) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:33:14 GMT

The University of Nottingham is pleased to announce the 6th in a series of successful international conferences providing a unique chance to network with senior professionals and academics, and to participate in in-depth discussions and hear about new research on current issues in procurement regulation.

The key conference themes will examine a wide range of topical issues including:

• Operation and reform of the EU public procurement regime
• Early experiences of the new UNCITRAL Model Law
• Plurilateral Procurement: life after the WTO's revised Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
• Corruption and collusion in procuring: managing the risks
• Defence and security procurement: the challenges of transparency
• Procurement in sub-Saharan Africa
• The regulator as regulated: procurement by the EU institutions
• Electronic procurement for the twenty-first century
• Aid effectiveness and procurement reform

Presentations will, as always, be provided by recognised experts in the field. If you would be interested in writing and presenting a paper falling within one of the general themes outlined here, please contact Peter Trepte providing details of your proposed presentation before 8 May 2012: peter.trepte@nottingham.ac.uk

Further information will be available shortly on the PPRG website.

Recent proposal by Professor Sue Arrowsmith to simplify the EU procurement directives and opportunity to show support through social media

sue.arrowsmith@nottingham.ac.uk (Sue Arrowsmith) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:30:12 GMT

Professor Sue Arrowsmith has recently published a proposal to simplify the EU procurement directives. The proposal advocates adopting a single directive based on the current Utilities Directive.

Following delivery of the proposal at recent conferences some practitioners have publicized the proposal in various social media, and called upon anyone supporting the proposal to indicate their support through these media and other methods.

A summary of the proposal, together with a link to a full paper on the proposal and an opportunity to show support can be found at:

http://www.facebook.com/PublicTendering?ref=pb (post by Pilvi Takala)

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/European-Public-Procurement-Network-35283

or

http://www.ptcs.fi/fi/blogi/public+procurement+directive+arrowsmith+proposal

Public Procurement Law Review: Issues 1&2, 2012 recently published

support@planpublicprocurement.org (Admin -) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:50:42 GMT

Table of contents:

ISSUE 1/2012

• Electronic auctions in EU procurement: reflections on the auction rules from the United Kingdom [1-17]

• Public - public cooperation - Teckal in practice [NA1-10]

• Clarification of the extent to which award sub-criteria must be disclosed in advance: Evropaiki Dynamiki v EMSA (C-252/10 P) [NA11-15]

• Effects of an administrative complaint on the admissibility of a claim for annulment - CMB Maschinenbau & Handels GmbH v Commission (T-407/07) [NA16-19]

• Obligation to state reasons, exclusion due to serious breaches of contractual obligations and length of the validity period - Evropaiki Dynamiki v Commission (T-298/09) [NA20-22]

• The right to an effective remedy against procurement award decisions of the European Investment Bank, disclosure of reasons and permitted award criteria - Evropaiki Dynamiki v European Investment Bank (T-461/08) [NA23-29]

• Public procurement in Hungary and the past fifteen years of the Public Procurement Council [NA30-49]

• Public Procurement (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2011 [NA50-53]

ISSUE 2/2012

• A critical evaluation of the revised UNCITRAL Model Law provisions on regulating framework agreements [19-46]

• The new European interoperability framework: opening competition in public procurement to both proprietary and open source software solutions and reinstating compliance with European Union procurement and competition law [47-67]

• The In-House Providing in European Law [68-69]

• Award of contracts for additional services without the prior publication of a contract notice: Commission v Greece (C-601/10) [NA55-61]

• Rejection of a tender on the grounds of inconsistency with the subject matter of the contract: Dredging International NV & Ondernemingen Jan de Nul NV v EMSA T-8/09 [NA62-66]

• Adjustment of time limits, incumbency advantages and alleged manifest error in the evaluation of tenders: Case T-232/06 P Evropaiki Dynamiki v European Commission [NA67-72]

• Dual regulation of concessions in Estonia as an obstacle for effective application of EU law [NA73-83]

• Judicial review of decision to reject a tender: Hossacks (A Firm of Solicitors) v The Legal Services Commission [NA84-88]

• Payment of costs in procurement litigation: Mears Limited v Leeds City Council (No. 3) [NA89-91]

• Northern Ireland: Price as an award criterion, time limits for bringing proceedings, and set aside of framework agreements: the case of Henry Bros (Magherafelt) Limited, FB McKee and Company Ltd and others v Department of Education for Northern Ireland [NA92-96]

• Northern Ireland: disclosure of award criteria and setting aside of framework agreements: the case of McLaughlin and Harvey Ltd v Department of Finance and Personnel [NA97-99]

Recently published book: "Contratación pública verde" [green public procurement]

jpernasg@udc.es (J. Jose Pernas Garcia) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:51:26 GMT

"Contratación pública verde" (Green Public Procurement), by José Pernas García, has recently been published by La Ley, and is available here.

Appointment of Professor John Linarelli as Professor and Head of the School of Law at Swansea University

sue.arrowsmith@nottingham.ac.uk (Sue Arrowsmith) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:29:25 GMT

Professor John Linarelli has been appointed as Professor and Head of the School of Law at Swansea University (UK). Professor Linarelli specialises in Legal Theory; International Economic Law; Law in Developing and Post-Conflict Societies; and Public Procurement Law.

Prior to joining Swansea University (UK), Professor Linarelli was Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at the University of La Verne College of Law (USA). He also held a honorary position with the Public Procurement Research Group at the University of Nottingham (UK), where he was involved in teaching on the University's postgraduate programme in Public Procurement Law and Policy.

Visit Professor Linarelli's personal homepage on the Swansea University's website here

Visit Professor Linarelli's Legal Scholarship Network author page here

Recently published book: "Designing Public Procurement Policy in Developing Countries"

ttaylor@cnu.edu (Travis Taylor) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:30:59 GMT

"Designing Public Procurement Policy in Developing Countries: How to Foster Technology Transfer and Industrialization in the Global Economy", edited by Travis K. Taylor (Christopher Newport University, Virginia USA) and Murat Yulek (THK University, Ankara Turkey) has recently been published by Springer, and is available here

Call for Papers: International Conference "Contracts, Procurement, and Public-Private Arrangements" - Paris, May 30 & 31

saussier@univ-paris1.fr (Stéphane SAUSSIER) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:06:38 GMT

This conference focuses on the recent developments in contract theories. Papers are invited on all topics of contract theories including: Relational contracting, transaction costs, renegotiations, incentives, attribution mechanisms, incomplete contracting, contract design, benchmarking, privatization, corruption, institutions.

Papers presented may be theoretical or applied. A special attention will be given to proposals addressing issues related to procurement and public-private arrangements.The conference will bring together academics, policymakers and practitioners to discuss those issues. The conference format will be designed to facilitate informal interactions among participants and promote future collaborations.

Proposals should be submitted online.

Deadlines

The submission deadline is March 1st, 2012
Decision will be announced by March 15th, 2012
Completed drafts of accepted papers are due by May 15th, 2012

For further information: carine.staropoli@univ-paris1.fr

Confence website: http://www.chaire-eppp.org/annual-conference-2012

Visit the event's page on PLAN website here

Public Procurement Research Group (University of Nottingham, UK) to participate in the Procurement Innovation Challenge led by the World Bank Institute

ptrepte@globalnet.co.uk (Peter Trepte) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:25:31 GMT

Peter Trepte will be representing the Public Procurement Research Group (PPRG) on the Circle of Advisors established under the Procurement Innovation Challenge, an initiative of the World Bank Institute (WBI) in partnership with UN Procurement Capacity Development Centre (UNPCDC), Public Procurement Research Group, University of Nottingham, Making Integrity Work (Tiri) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The Procurement Innovation Challenge is a collaborative challenge to identify and showcase innovative approaches to procurement reform that aims to expand and strengthen an existing network of stakeholders and practitioners interested in public procurement reform.

For further information, please visit the PPRG website here.

All official case stories will be showcased in the ProAct Community under the Collaborative Challenge Gallery and top finalists will be specially featured in ProAct's homepage and in the WBI web sites.