Early review of Austrian action plan on innovative procurement reveals positive results
A review of the implementation of Austria's action plan on promoting innovation within public procurement has shown that good progress has been made, and that the plan has been received positively by the Austrian procurement community. Adopted in 2012 and covering the period 2013 – 2014, the plan aims to improve public services through increasing the instances of public procurement of innovation (PPI) and pre-commercial procurement (PCP).
In addition to improved public services, it is also foreseen that innovative procurement will help in tackling societal challenges, particularly in the fields of health, safety and security, and sustainability. Whilst progress rates in most areas are seen as positive, the review notes that further development is required in the areas of planning and budgeting for PPI and PCP.
A political discussion with the goal of setting a budgetary percentage for innovative procurement is recommended, similar to the 3 percent target agreed in Spain, and 2 percent target in France. Another recommendation is to merge the requirements of innovative procurement with those of green and fair procurement, making it easier for procurers to follow all regulations. A comprehensive evaluation of the impact of the action plan is scheduled for 2016.
For more information, download the policy brief.