Mainstreaming Sustainable Public Procurement through the Introduction of Product Service Systems in the Western Cape
This project will introduce product service systems in the Western Cape, South Africa, as a specific tool to implement sustainable public procurement.
Enabling the introduction of performance-based procurement, product-service systems (PSS) and output, and functional or performance-based specifications to public procurement in the Western Cape has been identified as an innovative and complementary addition to existing sustainable public procurement (SPP) knowledge and practice. Therefore, this project aims to integrate PSS knowledge into existing public procurement policy and practice in order to drive SPP implementation.
In collaboration with WWF South Africa, this project has a strong focus on analyzing and overcoming hurdles for PSS procurement. We will analyze hurdles related to the legal framework, the capacity and skillset of public procurement agencies, the cost of sustainable and performance-based procurement, and the public accounting framework. We will propose solutions and identify international and South African best practices that can help identify how public procurement laws, policies and practices have to change to enable the introduction of performance-based procurement. This will result in a guidance document for public procurers and policy-makers in the Western Cape.
Overall, the project is designed to directly contribute to the province's and South Africa's green growth and sustainable development goals. It builds upon previous SPP work and initiatives already taking place in the Western Cape and nationally, including an IISD-led project in 2013–14 and joint and separate work of WWF South Africa with the Western Cape government. Previous research by IISD in cooperation with WWF South Africa demonstrates that the legal, institutional and policy frameworks in South Africa and the Western Cape are supportive of SPP but have not been taken fully advantage of.
In November 2016 we held a large workshop in Cape Town that raised significant awareness around the need for more SPP with all stakeholders at the municipal and provincial levels of the Western Cape.
In March 2018 a large capacity-building workshop will take place in Cape Town.
This project is part of the One Planet Network—a network of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production.
Latest
You might also be interested in
Environmental Product Declarations for Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete in Thailand
Supporting low-carbon construction in Thailand through environmental product declarations and more transparent, data-driven decisions.
Building Global Capacity for Sustainable and Circular Public Procurement in High-Impact Sectors
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) worked with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to strengthen global capacity to align public procurement with climate and circular economy goals in the built environment sector.
Strengthening Green Public Procurement in European Union Policy Reforms
The International Institute for Sustainable Development is working with stakeholders across Europe to develop reform recommendations for the European Union’s Public Procurement Directive, focusing on making procurement more strategic and environmentally sustainable. Backed by legal research and consultation, the project seeks to align public spending with climate goals. It is funded by the European Climate Foundation.
Supporting the Implementation of Green Public Procurement in Poland
To support Poland with the implementation of its State Purchasing Policy, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP), with funding from the World Bank, developed an implementation strategy for green public procurement (GPP).