SPP Toolbox: Supporting Sustainable Public Procurement in the Context of Socio-Technical Transitions

Paula Cayolla Trindade, Paula Antunes and Paulo Partidário
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Paula Cayolla Trindade: LNEG—National Laboratory of Energy and Geology, I.P. Apartado 7586, Alfragide, 2610-999 Amadora, Portugal
Paula Antunes: CENSE—Centre for Environmental and Sustainability Research, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2826-512 Caparica, Portugal
Paulo Partidário: DGEG-DEIR: Directorate General of Energy and Geology—Research and Renewables Division, Avenida 5 de Outubro 208, 1069-203 Lisboa, Portugal

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-26

Abstract: Public procurement can shape production and consumption trends and represents a stimulus for both innovation and diversification in products and services, through a direct increase in demand. In recent years, the interest in demand-side policies has grown and several approaches have emerged, such as Green Public Procurement (GPP), Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) and Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI), representing strategic goals to be achieved through public procurement. In this context, there is a need to guide and support public organizations in the uptake of GPP, SPP and PPI practices. To respond to the challenges raised by the operationalization of such strategies, this paper proposes a new tool—the SPP Toolbox—for guiding public organizations as they re-think the procurement process, raising their ambitions and broadening their vision, thus changing the organizational approach towards culture, strategies, structures and practices. This toolbox integrates insights from GPP, SPP and PPI objectives and practices, in the context of the emergence of socio-technical transitions. The toolbox coherently links GPP, SPP and PPI, allowing flexibility in terms of goals, yet promoting an increasing complexity of institutionalized practices and skills—from GPP to SPP and then from SPP to PPI, organized in a framework fully integrated into the organizational strategy.

Keywords: Green Public Procurement; Sustainable Public Procurement; Public Procurement of Innovation; toolbox (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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