Background and Rationale: South Africa is in its second decade of democracy. Since the introduction of democracy in 1994, the South African government and its citizens are making strides into overhauling the country to make it one of the best habitable countries in the world. All these changes are accompanied by challenges regarding the types of resources required to accomplish this when delivering services to the communities. In order for the government to accomplish this, systems and procedures which are supported by legislation and operational frameworks should be developed, implemented, monitored and reviewed when necessary. Legislation which has been developed to guide and regulate public procurement includes the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (Act 5 of 2000). The previous procurement approaches had various fallacies. For example, there was no accountability, no transparency, no equitable distribution of economic resources and no supporting structures to oversee the process. The government then realised the need for having an integrated approach towards public acquisition of goods and services. The public service should operate in an environment where there will be fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and value for money in procurement. 2 The objective of the Preferential Procurement Policy Act (Act 5 of 2000) is to give effect to section 217(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996). Section 217 (3) stipulates that national legislation must prescribe a framework within which the procurement policy may be implemented. Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (Act 5 of 2000) aims at redressing the past racial imbalances, where race and gender were used to control productive resources. In order to address the shortfalls of the previous systems which failed to provide equal competition opportunities to all the people of South Africa, the mandate, as stipulated in the amended Section 217 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996), has been implemented. This section calls on government and organs of the state to apply a preference point system to enhance and give preference to the historically disadvantaged individuals or designated groups, who in the past, were victims of unfair discrimination on the basis of race, gender or disability. The Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (Act 5 of 2000) and its related regulations and systems emanate from Section 217 (3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, (Act 108 of 1996). The government has, since 1995, started engaging in a number of initiatives with the purpose of restructuring the procurement. One of the initiatives was the development of the Green Paper on Public Sector Procurement Reform in South Africa in 1997. This paper is a discussion document which contains various proposals aimed at achieving the objectives of good governance, developing and utilising the country’s human resources potential to the full, and encouraging a well-developed and competitive business sector (http://www.info.gov.za/greenpapers/1997/publicproc.htm). 3 Subsequent to the Green Paper on Public Sector Procurement Reform the government published the Preferential Procurement Regulations in 2001, in terms of Section 5 of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework. The government’s aim was to elicit contributions and discussions from role- players and interested parties. These inputs are crucial in a country that is committed to democracy. It can be deduced that the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework is a tool that is intended to provide direction and guidance to public officials when they engage in the acquisition of goods and services whilst giving leverage and preference to those who have been victims of the past imbalances. There is a perception that business opportunities favour individuals and businesses that are well established and the emerging business owners are marginalised. The reforms in the procurement processes that have been put in place are intended to ensure that there is equality, transparency and accountability in the allocation of business opportunities. Preference has to be afforded to the previously marginalised people to play a role in the public sector procurement and enhance income generation. The aims of the Preferential Procurement will be defeated if there are no systems to control and monitor the engagement of historically disadvantaged individuals. The affirming of such business owners should be viewed as a tool for the distribution of wealth, job creation and a poverty alleviation strategy from the side of government. The rationale for the research, therefore, is to establish whether the historically disadvantaged individuals’ lives are improving and bringing about sustainable economic development in their lives.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was determined and is stated in chapter 1. An overview of the traditional approach to procurement is given through the description of a traditional purchase-to-pay process. A detailed description of the Purchasing Card is given to use as background by readers. The Purchasing Card description includes benefits of the use of the card, and benefits to suppliers when a purchasing card is used. Controls that can be implemented by using the Purchasing Card are indicated. Available Management Information has been established and is indicated in chapter 2. A study of the Visa HM Government Procurement Card of the UK government was done. Established best practices from this card programme forms the foundation of the suggestions on the product offering and suggested implementation plan for the South African Government. It is also supported by experience gained at rollouts at corporate clients of Absa Bank. The South African Government's policy framework for e-Government was studied and is briefly outlined in this study. The link between Purchasing Cards and e- Government is indicated by a discussion on economies of scale that can be obtained. A product description of a South African Government Purchasing Card has been compiled. Certain key aspects to consider, has been discussed. A proposed implementation plan, indicating the short and long-term benefits for the South African Government, has been compiled. Finally, the study is concluded by making recommendations on implementing a South African Government Purchasing Card programme. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie is bepaal en word aangedui in hoofstuk 1. 'n Oorsig van die tradisionele benadering tot aankope word weergegee deur die beskrywing van 'n tradisionele aankoop-tot-betaling proses. 'n Volledige beskrywing van die aankope kaart word voorsien vir gebruik as agtergrond deur lesers. Die aankope kaart beskrywing sluit voordele met die gebruik van die kaart, asook voordele aan verskaffers indien 'n aankope kaart gebruik word, in. Verder word beheer maatreëls wat geimplementeer kan word indien 'n Aankope kaart gebruik word, aangedui. Beskikbare bestuursinligting is bepaal en word aangedui in hoofstuk 2. 'n Studie is gedoen van die "Visa HM Government Procurement Card" van die regering van die Verenigde Koninkryk (VK). Gevestigde praktyke van hierdie kaart program vorm die grondslag vir die voorstelle van die produk en voorgestelde implemteringsplan vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Regering. Dit word verder ondersteun deur ondervinding opgedoen met die implemetering van aankoop kaart programme by Korporatiewe kliënte van Absa Bank. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Regering se beleidsraamwerk vir e-Regering is bestudeer en word kortliks aangespreek in hierdie studie. Die verband tussen aankope kaarte en e- Regering word aangedui deur 'n bespreking van die ekonomieë van skaal wat verkry kan word. 'n Produk beskrywing van 'n Suid-Afrikaanse Regering aankope kaart is saamgestel. Sekere sleutelelemente wat oorweeg moet word by die implementering van so 'n produk, word bespreek. 'n Voorgestelde implementeringsplan is saamgestel, waar die kort- en langtermyn voordele vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Regering aangedui word. Laastens word die studie afgesluit met sekere aanbevelings vir die implemetering van 'n Suid-Afrikaanse Regerings aankope kaart program.

Thesis (M.S.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2003. / Title from title screen (viewed May 14, 2004). "June 2003." Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-129). Also issued in paper format.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2003. / "MBA professional report"--Cover. Joint authors: James Cheatham, Vaughn Gonzalez 2nd, Rolando Ibanez, Richard Nalwasky, Martin Rios, Marco A. Turner. Thesis advisor(s): Ron Tudor, Rod Tudor. Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-237). Also available online.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Donald Summers, Juliette Webb. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-69). Also available online.

The study is about the activities of public entities in international trade, more precisely, about international government procurement. The law of government contracts, in international and municipal law, seeks to balance the stability of contractual relations between the parties and the mutability of the contract which flows from a recognition of the primacy of the public interest. The precise balance struck varies from one legal system to another. Part One of the work looks, firstly, at the recognition, immunities and capacity of public entities in international commercial transactions. Secondly, it treats the conflict of laws rules applicable before national and arbitral jurisdictions. Thirdly, it explores the various possibilities of applicable law, namely the law of the contracting State, the lex mercatoria and public international law. Part Two examines, from a comparative perspective, the notions of "public body", "public contract" and "contrat administratif" in Ameircan, English and French law. The third part explores two main themes. Firstly, the process of procurement in national law, European law, and under the Agreement on Government Procurement; and secondly, the question of the stability of the contractual obligations which can be disturbed by unilateral interventions of the contracting public entity and by external supervening events.

This thesis has examined the language of the various statutes regulating public purchasing by local Governments in the State of Indiana as it applies to non-bid and bid purchasing. The procedures outlined in those statutes were then compared to the purchasing practices observed in various local governments in northern Indiana.Attention was given to intergovernmental cooperation, centralization of purchasing, and to recommendations made by such authorities as the Council of State Governments and the National Association of State Purchasing Officials in an effort to determine if the language of the statutes and the procedures actually practiced by purchasers in Indiana local government provide for the taxpayer's receiving the most for his money.Finally, the thesis has provided a number of recommendations for modification of current law through inclusion of a proposed purchasing statute.

Graduation date: 1983

Thesis--University of Virginia. / Bibliography: p. 398-422.

Univ., Diss.--Göttingen, 2002.