Introducing Public Procurement

This chapter introduces the concept of public procurement and explains what it is and is not and how it is distinct from private purchasing. To do so it describes the public-private continuum and explains what publicness is. Subsequently, the public procurement process is described using the circular 3P (Prepare, Purchase, and Perform) model. This is followed by a discussion of the seven developmental stages of public procurement. It explains how public procurement has developed over time from an executive management function aimed at fulfilling an internal demand to a policy instrument that can collaboratively create public value. The chapter ends with an explanation of the multifaceted nature of public procurement and why understanding and applying multiple perspectives (e.g., economic, legal, societal, and political) is necessary to bring public procurement into a new era and fully understand and utilize the impact of public procurement.