Public procurement initiatives during the Covid-19 pandemic and lessons learned: the case study of Greece

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to highlight how the Greek State tried to improve public procurement processes during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and propose measures that could be implemented in a future force majeure event where the global supply chain will not operate efficiently. Design/methodology/approach The authors investigated the existing scientific literature. Afterwards, they designed a questionnaire to gather primary data and add value to the current literature. Findings The research paper results highlight that in future force majeure events, the best way for effective public procurement is to implement central procurement, framework agreements with more than one economic operator and use the newly established Public Buyers Community in the European Union. The questionnaire interviews also highlighted that payment terms could be adjusted to the needs of the suppliers to improve their financial flows, which are disrupted in case of a force majeure event. Research limitations/implications One of the limitations of the present case study is that apart from the Greek procurement Laws and policy documents related to the COVID-19 pandemic, only scientific articles written in English were used by the authors in the literature review section. Practical implications The findings could benefit public contracting authorities and central procurement bodies when designing their processes in case of a force majeure event like the COVID-19 pandemic. As the public contracting authorities and the procurement officers are more informed about potential ways to improve the public procurement processes, they might apply measures that could facilitate the flexibility of the procurement processes. Social implications The research paper can provide lessons learned to policy makers, when they have to cope with similar challenges in the future. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, no previous scientific article has examined how the Greek State has tried to respond to the supply shortages created during the pandemic. Furthermore, this is the first study in Greece that gathers primary data from public procurement practitioners.