DRP / MRP

1. PAN-COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC PROCUREMENT NETWORK
CONFERENCE 28-30 Sep 2011
Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP)
The Mauritian Experience
By S Tahalooa
Balaclava, Mauritius
1

2. Objectives of Public Procurement*
• Value for money in procurement of goods, works and services
• Integrity – avoiding corruption and conflicts of interest
• Accountability
• Equal Opportunities and equal treatment for providers
• Fair treatment for providers
• Efficiency in the procurement process
* Sue Arrowsmith

3. 3
Secondary Policies
• Harness Government Procurement power to
support some policy goals that are not directly
linked directly to the goods, works and services
procured:
o Industrial policies
o Social policies
o Environmental policies

4. 4
Industrial Policies
Procurement can be used to promote
industrial development:
•Buy national (e.g Buy America Legislation)
•Price preference for domestic contents
•Strategic intervention: supporting industries
in disadvantaged or declining regions,
national security

5. 5
Social Policies
Supporting policies of a non-economic nature:
•Promoting equal opportunities for those
disadvantaged by gender or by ethnic group
•Promoting fair labour standards by
government contractors and their sub-
contractors
•Promoting employment opportunities for long-
term unemployed persons

6. 6
Environmental Policies
• Using public procurement to support
environmental objectives:
o Address climate change
o Preserve bio-diversity
o E.g Procurement of products with particular
environmental features like energy efficiency

7. 7
Sustainable Public Procurement*
• Sustainable Procurement is a process
whereby organisations meet their needs
for goods, services, works and utilities in a
way that achieves “value for money on a
whole life basis” in terms of generating
benefits not only to the organisation, but
also to society and the economy, whilst
minimising damage to the environment
• UK SP Task Force and MTF SPP Task Force, 2006

8. 8
Implementing SPP in Mauritius
• The Prime Minister promoted a concept known as
“Maurice Ile Durable” [Mauritius Sustainable Island]
• Through the National Policy framework of 2007 a policy
framework for promoting Sustainable Consumption at
national level has been devised
• In 2008 the Government requested UNEP for Mauritius
to be a pilot country for SPP implementation and UNEP
approved
• Procurement Policy Office selected as the National
Focus Point for implementing SPP

9. 9
Strategic priorities of SCP programme
framework
• Resources Use Efficiency with a Focus on Energy ,
Water and Sustainable Buildings and Construction
• Education and Communication for Sustainable Lifestyles
• Integrated Solid Waste management and Recycling
• Sustainable Public Service Practices*
• Increase Market Supply and Demand for Sustainable
Products
* Sustainable Public Procurement falls under this priority

10. 10
SPP Marrakech Process

11. 11
Implementation Process
• Setting up of a steering committee under
the chairmanship of the Director, PPO
• All major stakeholders involved
• Technical support of UNEP critical
• Hiring of consultants where required

12. 12
Status Assessment
• Status Assessment completed in 2009
• Assessment revealed that generally
Mauritius does not consider sustainable
criteria in public procurement

13. 13
Status Assessment
• Legal environment conducive for SPP
implementation:
o A sound procurement system
o Mauritius has ratified most international conventions
related to environment, labour conditions, human right
o Evaluation of suppliers based on price and non-price
factors
o Contract management is carried out
o Suppliers are engaged

14. 14
Market Readiness Analysis (TOR)
• Determine availability and market share of the targeted
sustainable products /services
• Establish whether the targeted products are available in
the local market
• Determine the number of SMEs and/or large enterprises
involved in the fabrication or import of the targeted
products
• Explore the prospects for in-country supply of new
sustainable products and services
• Establish whether the goods and services are available
in the international market and impacts of importation

15. 15
Market Readiness Analysis (TOR 2)
• Catalogue current instruments and tools available to
certify and verify the sustainability of the products
• Assess national programmes, policies and/or
instruments which currently exist to promote sus-
tainable production in the targeted sectors
• Determine the extent to which companies in the
targeted sector have environmental management
systems and/or other sustainable development
credentials in place; and finally
• Explore the prospects for development of the in-
country market to supply the international market.

16. 16
Market Readiness Analysis-Methodology
• A three-stage approach was adopted so
as to obtain the best results:
o Literature review
o Analysis
o Surveys

17. 17
Market Readiness Analysis-Methodology
(Stage 1)
• Discussions with PPO to clarify some aspects of the
TORs
• Collection and preliminary analysis of procurement
data for 2008 and 1st semester of 2009
• Examination of the national public procurement system
• Discussions with a few stakeholders
• An extensive review of literature on sustainable public
procurement.

18. 18
Market Readiness Analysis-Methodology
(Stage 2)
Carrying out a prioritization study, based on
UK‘s Sustainable Procurement Task Force
Methodology to identify the largest, quickest
and easiest sustainable procurement
opportunities

19. 19
Market Readiness Analysis-Methodology
(Stage 3)
Survey the market to evaluate the
availability of targeted products and services
in the priority areas, and the national
conformity assessment infrastructure

20. 20
Market Readiness Analysis
Recommendations (Priority spend areas):
• Buildings
• Waste collection and disposal
• Roads Construction
• Wastewater Management
• Food and Catering
• Water Supply: Works and Maintenance
• Energy: Plants and Equipment
• IT Systems: Computers and Office Machinery
• IT; Computerization and System maintenance
• Paper and Printing

21. 21
Market Readiness Analysis
Quick wins:
• IT SYSTEMS: COMPUTERS & OFFICE MA-CHINERY
• IT: COMPUTERISATION & SYSTEMS AINTENANCE
• FOOD AND CATERING; and PAPER and PRINTING
Pioneer:
• CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS
Challenging
• Remaining five

22. 22
Policy Statement
The Policy Statement is an official
commitment of Government of Mauritius
to observe the principles of sustainability
in the conduct of public procurement

23. 23
Action Plan 2011-2015
• A national and an international consultant
with the support of PPO has developed
the SPP Strategy and Action Plan
• A phased approach recommended
• Quick wins: Paper, vehicles and ICT

24. Procurement of Vehicles using 24
sustainable criteria
• Objectives: purchase vehicles that are fuel
efficient and emit less CO2
• Methodology:
o Setting a minimum level of CO2 emission
o Applying LCC (Acquisition costs, operating
costs and Residual value)
• Wide consultation with key stakeholders

25. 25
Challenges
• LCC concept not fully conversant
• Perception that SPP is completely
different from traditional procurement
• Difficult to estimate the price after useful
life of the vehicles
• Fear of high price of vehicles
• Fear that bidders not making offer
• Non availability of data for CO2 emission

26. 26
Lessons Learned
• To carry out pilot test with a minimum
quantity and where availability of the item
is not critical
• Awareness to key stakeholders critical
• Any new concept (e.g LCC) clearly
explained to key stakeholders
• Such initiatives should be undertaken:
Lessons learned are optimal

27. 27
Future of SPP
• Strategic importance of Procurement
• Concern for environment protection
increasing
• Concern for social factors
• Increasingly government pursuing its
policies through Public Procurement
• Best practices and tools emerging in SPP

28. 28
Thank You
stahalooa@mail.gov.mu