Title: The role of public purchasing departments in acquisition processes for consulting services

Authors: Joseph J. Schiele

Addresses: School of Business Administration, Oakland University, 308 Elliot Hall, Rochester, MI 48309–4493, USA

Abstract: This paper describes in detail the type of value that can be associated with meaningfully involving public purchasing departments in acquisition processes for consulting services. Where this value occurred throughout the various stages of the acquisition processes examined is also described. Data were collected at five Canadian municipalities and involved a detailed examination of ten cases where the purchasing department was meaningfully involved in the acquisition process. Case study informants included five purchasing managers, ten purchasing agents, nine client department managers and a consultant. This work addresses the problem of low involvement of the public purchasing department involvement in these important purchase decisions and some significant gaps in the public procurement literature.

Keywords: public procurement; local government purchasing; consulting services; value; meaningful involvement; case studies; purchasing involvement; procurement management; consulting service acquisition; Canada.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPM.2007.015359

International Journal of Procurement Management, 2007 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.144 - 165

Published online: 10 Oct 2007 *

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