Understanding and Tracing Accountability in the Public Procurement Process

Abstract

How do public procurement specialists define accountability? Are public-private partnerships possible in public procurement? Is there an accountability nexus between public-private partnerships and public procurement? Using data collected from semistructured interviews, it is determined that public-private partnerships in public procurement are possible only under rigid constraints. Findings suggest that there are two decision-making patterns—the broker and the purist—correlated with length of employment by the same organization and the political context of the agency. Understanding accountability within public procurement requires consideration of a complex decision-making process at the individual and organizational levels and also of the political environment, because public procurement is not immune to politics.