Under 2018 betalade Sveriges myndigheter, kommuner och regioner ut totalt 847 miljarder kronor till privata företag och av dessa kan 800 miljarder kopplas till offentliga upphandlingar. Den summan uppgår till ca 20% av Sveriges Bruttonationalprodukt. Det innebär att den offentliga upphandlingen har förutsättningar att göra stor positiv inverkan på de globala hållbarhetsmålen, främst genom Agenda 2030s mål 12: Hållbar konsumtion och produktion, samt mål 13: Bekämpa klimatförändringarna. I den här rapporten har Sandviken kommuns upphandlingsprocess analyserats genom djupintervjuer med nyckelpersoner med expertis inom upphandling och hållbarhet. Syftet är att ge en fördjupad inblick i hur upphandlingsprocessen ser ut specifikt i Sandvikens kommun, samt presentera möjliga förbättringsförslag. Intervjuer genomfördes under april 2022 genom de digitala plattformarna Zoom och Microsoft Teams. Teori från vetenskapligt granskade artiklar (peer-reviewed) har sedan jämförts med upplevelser från de intervjuade nyckelpersonerna för att se var förbättringspotential finns. Analysen visade att nyckelpersonerna hos Sandvikens kommun till stor del är medvetna om den problematik som finns, men att arbete återstår innan optimala processer är implementerade. Författarna har efter analysen redovisat ett antal förbättringsförslag där bland annat framtagande av nya miljömål, förtydligande av arbetsuppgifter samt integrering av ekologiska och sociala hållbarhetsfrågor i upphandlingsprocessen anses vara en del av lösningen. För framtida studier anser författarna att ytterligare intervjuer med politiker och deltagare från referensgrupper bör genomföras. En jämförande undersökning av hållbarhetsarbetet mellan Sveriges kommuner anses också vara intressant för att se ytterligare förbättringspotential. / In 2018, Sweden's authorities, municipalities and regions paid out a total of SEK 847 billion to private companies, of which SEK 800 billion can be linked to public procurement. That sum amounts to about 20% of Sweden's Gross National Product. This means that public procurement has the potential to make a major positive impact on the global sustainability goals, primarily/mainly through Agenda 2030s goal 12: Sustainable consumption and production, and goal 13: Combating climate change.   In this thesis, Sandviken municipality's procurement process has been analyzed through in-depth interviews with key people with expertise in procurement and sustainability. The purpose is to provide an in-depth insight into what the procurement process looks like specifically in Sandviken municipality, and to present possible improvement proposals. Interviews were conducted in April 2022 through the digital platforms Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Theory from scientifically peer-reviewed articles has then been compared with experiences from the interviewed key people to see where the potential for improvement lies.   The analysis shows that the key people in Sandviken municipality are largely aware of the problems that exist, but that work remains before optimal processes are implemented. After the analysis, the authors have presented a number of improvement proposals where, among other things, the development of new environmental goals, clarification of tasks and integration of ecological and social sustainability issues in the procurement process are considered part of the solution.   For future studies, the authors believe that further interviews with politicians and participants from reference groups should be conducted. A comparative study of the sustainability work between Sweden's municipalities is also considered interesting to see further potential for improvement.

An approach is developed for determining respiratory values of ovules and embryos of Ginkgo biloba L. An analysis of respiratory drift is supplemented by secondary experiments on factors influencing respiration as affecting growth. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

This thesis analyzes the effects on the price impacts of the Commodity Procurement Program when canned peaches are purchased. The main objective is to assess the effects of canned peaches purchases on the farm-level price of canning peaches. Interviews of the industries that participate in the Commodity Procurement Program are used to understand how the industry interacts with commodity procurements and to evaluate if the industry feels that commodity procurements have a significant effect on procured fruits' and vegetables' prices to help better judge the overall effectiveness of the commodity procurement program. A theoretical model of the Commodity Procurement Program's effects on the vertically related markets is constructed. Data are collected for the processor-level and farm-level peach markets. The results provide evidence that the quantity demanded of commodity procurements for canned peaches has a statistically significant negative effect on both the partial and final processor-level price. Also the results indicate that the quantity demanded of commodity procurements for canned peaches does not have a statistically significant effect on the final farm-level price. The results from the Breusch-Pagan tests for the processor-level partial reduced form price equation, the processor-level final reduced form price equation and the farm-level final reduced form price equation indicate that there is no significant evidence that the quantity demanded of commodity procurements stabilizes or destabilizes the farm-level or processor-level price. / Master of Science

Master of Science

Since the 1980s, private sector spending on Research and Development (RandD) has outpaced federal RandD spending. For example, while the Department of Defense (DoD) spent $64 billion on RandD in fiscal year 2015, the private sector spent $260 billion. DoD relies on the private sector to develop advanced technologies for defense requirements. However, some innovative businesses are hesitant to work with DoD because of the perceived bureaucracy of the DoD procurement system. Recognizing this problem, in 1989, Congress created a new type of non-procurement agreement for DoD called Other Transactions Agreements (OTs). OTs are excluded from most laws and regulations that govern traditional procurement agreements. OTs can be written to meet the needs of the parties and the project, enabling agreements that resemble commercial contracting. Congress has expanded OT authority, and DoD has issued OT guidance to its employees. But DoD has not used OTs as widely as expected. This is puzzling because commentators find OTs are helpful to DoD and the private sector in reducing the legal and regulatory compliance costs associated with the DoD procurement system. Using qualitative methods, and drawing on the OT and historical institutionalism literature, this study explores institutional factors that may explain why DoD has not more widely used OTs. The study relied on interviews with DoD employees and contractors. OT case studies were used to triangulate the interview findings. Potential causal mechanisms are identified to support future research of the DoD OT program using causal process tracing. The study findings are used to offer policy recommendations to support the wider use of OTs by DoD. / Ph. D. / Some innovative businesses are reluctant to work with the Department of Defense (DoD) due to the perceived bureaucracy of the DoD procurement system. Recognizing this problem, in 1989, Congress created a new type of non-procurement agreement for DoD called Other Transactions Agreements (OTs). Unlike traditional procurement agreements, OTs are excluded from many of the laws and regulations that reportedly deter the private sector from doing business with DoD. OTs enable agreements that more closely resemble commercial contracting. The terms and conditions of the OT can be written to meet the needs of the parties and the OT project. Thus, OTs are a flexible tool to help attract innovative businesses that would not otherwise work for DoD under traditional procurement agreements. Congress has expanded OT authority to encourage DoD to use OTs more widely. DoD has issued guidance to help its employees negotiate and administer OTs. But DoD has not used OTs as much as expected. This is puzzling because procurement and policy experts find that OTs are helpful to DoD and the private sector in reducing the legal and regulatory compliance costs often associated with the DoD procurement system. This study explores institutional and other factors that may help explain why DoD has not more widely used OTs. The study relied on interviews with DoD employees and contractors. OT case studies were used to corroborate the interview findings. The study findings are used to offer policy recommendations to support the wider use of OTs by DoD.

Yes / The cost performance of a wide range of public sector infrastructure projects completed by a contractor are analysed and discussed. Change-orders after a contract to construct an asset was signed were, on average, found to contribute to a 23.75% increase in project costs. A positive association between an increase in change orders and the contractor’s margin were identified. Taxpayers pay for this additional cost, while those charged with constructing assets are rewarded with an increase in their margins. As the public sector embraces an era of digitisation, there is a need to improve the integration of design and construction activities and engender collaboration to ensure assets can be delivered cost effectively and future-proofed. The research paper provides empirical evidence for the public sector to re-consider the processes that are used to deliver their infrastructure assets so as to reduce the propensity for cost overruns and enable future-proofing to occur.

In the mid 1990s a previous prohibitions against multi-story buildings higher than two floors with a wooden frame was changed. Today multi-storey buildings are being built in Skellefteå, Sundsvall, Växjö, and Stockholm with others. Despite this only one of five houses being built today has a wooden frame. Since the municipality is a key force to get projects with wooden frames, this papers purpose is to improve tender document for the opportunity to submit bids and building with wooden frames. To help us forward with our work three questions were formulated. 1) What is the basis from a wooden constructions company perspective, of which they determines if they can place a bid or not? 2) What is the difference between tender documents made by a municipality compared to a private buyer? 3) How can tender documents be improved to create an opportunity to place a bid containing an alternative frame system? To answer these questions a literature study was carried out. The literature study is the basis of this paper. To obtain empirical data a document analysis of tender documents was carried out. The result of the study shows that wood frames are hard to adapt to an already finished technical specification, or to a tender document containing an extensive technical specification. To obtain alternative solutions, the buyer should focus on object design, form and function, or a general technical specification. Instead the technical specifications should be drawn up by the supplier, or in collaboration with them. The tender evaluation should be made by the most economically advantageous rather then the lowest price. Then the buyer can evaluate the offers against each other, rather then choosing the lowest price. This also gives the possibility for suppliers to make a bid containing an alternative solution. As a continuation of this paper, we recommend a study on which impact a general technical specification has on the project final cost.  Furthermore a study exploring which possibilities partner procurement can have alternative solutions in the Swedish procurement act. This report deal exclusively with how tender documents should be formulated. Life cycle analysis, carbon dioxide emissions and strength calculations will not be executed.

1 Abstract The public procurement market that accounts for a significant share of the Czech GDP represents an institution of high rent-seeking motive and corruption potential. Donations to political parties can be used as an indirect linkage between political parties and firms as potential suppliers of public contracts. We analyse whether connections and donations influence the number of supplied contracts, volume of supplied contracts and the number of bidders in the tendering process. Furthermore the impact of donations and connections on firms' performance and profitability is assessed. We identify significant effects on number of contracts, volume of contracts, dependence on revenues from contracts and number of bidders of both giving donations and history of employing a politically active person.

by Leung Chi Yui. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1981. / Bibliography: leaf 42.

Då den svenska offentliga sektorn handlar kontorsmaterial, idrottsarenor, tjänster eller andra former av inköp hamnar detta under benämningen offentlig upphandling. Den totala summan av offentlig upphandling i Sverige uppskattas överstiga 500 miljarder svenska kronor årligen. När en offentlig upphandling skall genomföras skapas ett förfrågningsmaterial från upphandlaren genom vilket leverantörer får lämna anbud om att kunna slutföra det kontrakt som erbjuds. När anbuden kommer in är det upphandlarens uppgifter att avgöra vilket anbud som är det mest fördelaktiga, detta genom att väga olika faktorer emot varandra. Denna studie undersöker ifall faktorn pris prioriteras i denna beslutsfattande situation från upphandlaren. Resultaten visar på att pris först i slutändan är den faktor som avgör vilken leverantör som blir vinnare i budgivningen, men detta är först efter att andra faktorer redan har blivit beaktade och påverkat faktorn pris. / Program: Civilekonomprogrammet