Public Procurement refers to the government’s activity of purchasing the goods and services it needs. These range from simple items such as paper clips and cleaning services, to large and complex acquisitions such as public infrastructure (roads, power stations etc) and weapons. In most countries this government market accounts for 15-20% of GDP – a major part of economic activity.
Most countries now regulate the public procurement process for various reasons – to ensure value for taxpayers’ money, to improve the quality of public infrastructure and services and to prevent fraud and corruption. Public procurement law is also increasingly concerned with supporting social and environmental goals, such as developing poor regions or tackling climate change. A recent wave of public procurement reform has been facilitated by the fact that the United Nations, through UNCITRAL, has adopted a Model Law on procurement. The UN Model Law has been used as the basis for reform in more than 50 countries, especially developing countries and transition economies, and is used to study the subject in this module.
This increasing legal regulation means that public procurement is now one of the most exciting and fast-developing areas of commercial law. It is of particular importance for those hoping to work in the fields of international trade law, construction, technology, defence and utilities (water, energy, gas, telecommunications etc), as well as those seeking a career in international institutions.
The School of Law at Nottingham is at the forefront of developments in this exciting new field. It has a major global centre in this area, the Public Procurement Research Group, which is not only an academic leader – it is currently heading an EU funded Asia Link project to develop this subject in universities across Europe and Asia - but is also closely involved in international law reform projects.