Institute for Employment Research » IER News & blogs (tag [public procurement])

Working in an everchanging world

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Dr Katharina Sarter presented key findings from a project that investigated how public procurement professionals navigate the challenges of an everchanging environment at Procurex Wales, a key event for public procurement professionals in Wales.

Practical insights for using public procurement to promote gender equality

Tue, 06 May 2025 10:05:00 GMT

Public procurement is increasingly used as a tool to promote social policy goals. Yet, while academic research takes a growing interest in the strategic use of public procurement as a policy tool, practical guidance remains rather scarce. In a (German language) contribution to the eminent Handbook for Equal Opportunity Officers in Germany, IER's Dr E.K. Sarter provides insights into possibilities and approaches of strategically leveraging public spending for goods, works, and services as a tool for promoting gender equality.

New article explores the origins of social value

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Public procurement is an important market and a key area of public spending. As such, it has increasingly come into focus as a tool for promoting social policy objectives. In this vein, ‘social value’ is an increasingly important concept in public purchasing.

New Guideline for Sustainable Public-Private Partnerships Procurement

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 19:45:00 GMT

As part of a drafting group formed of international experts, IER's Dr E. Katharina Sarter contributed to the development of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Guidelines on green and sustainable procurement of Public-Private Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals, which were recently endorsed. The new Guidelines outline key concepts and considerations for green and sustainable procurement, showcasing promising approaches and examples of good practice.

Public procurement as a policy tool

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 07:46:27 GMT

Building on extensive work on sustainable public procurement over the past years, IER's Dr Eva Katharina Sarter presented a paper entitled "Hidden Debates: Public Procurement as a Venue for Negotiation", which examined the political dimension of debates on the strategic use of public procurement to foster (social) policy goals.

Public procurement and labour market inequality - a multi-faceted relationship

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 08:15:00 GMT

Over the past decades, public procurement has gained importance as a policy tool, also in the context of labour market and employment policies. Among others, public procurement is used as a lever to shape wages and working conditions, foster equality, and create jobs and training opportunities.

Promoting decent work through public procurement in cleaning and private security services - country report Denmark

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Buying decent work has attracted increased political and academic attention in Denmark, where especially trade unions and centre-left political parties have pushed the agenda for applying labour clauses in public procurement as well as ensure their enforcement. All Danish regional authorities and nine out of ten Danish municipalities apply labour clauses in some of their publicly procured work.

Leveraging procurement to foster employment equality

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:13:00 GMT

The ESRC funded Buying Social Justice through Procurement project of which Dr E.K. Sarter is a Co-Investigator published its final report. Based on mixed-method research, the report sheds light on the policy framework and the inclusion of equality objectives in public procurement in England, Scotland and Wales and identifies barriers to and enablers of socially responsible public procurement.

Equality and diversity toolkit welcomed by speakers at launch event

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:10:00 GMT

The Buying Social Justice project, which comprises Prof Tessa Wright, Prof Hazel Conley, Dr Joyce Mamode and IER’s Dr Katharina Sarter, launched its toolkit for practitioners on including equality and diversity objectives within public procurement at a well-attended online event on 19 October 2023. At the event, the project team presented key findings from the two-year research project, which have fed into the guidance and good practice examples in the toolkit.

The recording of the session is now available on the project website. The equality and diversity toolkit is available for download from this project website.

IER to host event with Evan Davis

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 13:21:00 GMT

To celebrate the publication of the book Understanding Public Services. A Contemporary Introduction, edited by IER’s Dr Katharina Sarter and Dr Elizabeth Cookingham Bailey from the University of York, IER will be hosting an online event on public services with Evan Da vis on 22nd September, 12:00-13:00 hours.

Starting with an introduction to public services and their importance and role by Evan Davis, this event will feature a presentation of the book, a discussion between Evan Davis and the book editors and an open Q&A. Please register via eventbrite.