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Biography
Jamie Thomas is a part-time PhD student with a specialism in public procurement law, also working as a public procurement professional.
His first degree was a Master of Arts in International Relations at the University of St. Andrews, graduating with Second Class Honours in 2003. More recently, Jamie completed the Executive Programme in Public Procurement Law at the University of Nottingham, graduating with an LL.M (Distinction) in 2017, which encouraged him to continue to pursue a PhD.
Professionally, Jamie has worked in public procurement for 15 years, first in local government and more recently in the Civil Service, where he is currently Commercial Manager at National Savings and Investments (NS&I). This career has allowed him to develop an extensive practical working knowledge of public procurement law and policy, which complements his research interests. Alongside this he is also a Principal Associate of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), speaking regularly at their conferences and practice seminars.
Expertise Summary
Jamie's focus is on public procurement law and policy, with a particular expertise and interest in "horizontal policy", that is, the use of public procurement regulation to drive other public policy goals. Specific areas of horizontal policy interest include the interaction between Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and public procurement, sustainable development or "social value" in public procurement, and in the development of devolved public procurement policy in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Research Summary
Jamie's PhD research project seeks to examine the evidence base for recent public policy changes in the UK, where government has pursued changes to public procurement legislation as a means to tackle… read more
Recent Publications
JAMIE THOMAS, 2023. A Working Definition of 'Barriers' to Small Business in Public Procurement: From Fair Treatment of Suppliers to Fair Share of the Market European Procurement and Public Private Partnership Law Review. 18(1), 7
JAMIE THOMAS, 2018. Public Procurement and Lord Young’s Reforms – Two Years On Public Procurement Law Review. 27(4), 152 - 166
Current Research
Jamie's PhD research project seeks to examine the evidence base for recent public policy changes in the UK, where government has pursued changes to public procurement legislation as a means to tackle perceived barriers which, it is claimed, prevent SMEs from obtaining fair access to public contract opportunities. Focusing on one specific "barrier", that of shortlisting or "PQQ" procedures, the overall aim of the research project is to help improve understanding of how SMEs interact with public procurers, on the basis of robust data, and to support evidence-led policymaking in this area.
His supervisors are Dr. Luke Butler and Dr. Peter Trepte.
Jamie is also actively involved in a current programme of research, in collaboration with Dr. Luke Butler, looking into devolved public procurement in the UK, seeking to examine in detail the emergence, through devolution in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, of four different public procurement regimes within the UK, each with their own character, features, and specific rules.