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Veiko Lember: how can public procurement affect innovation
The latest issue of Hea Kodanik (Good Citizen in Estonian), the journal of Estonia’s key umbrella and advocacy organization for third sector EMSL, includes an interview with DPA’s senior researcher Veiko Lember, covering such topics as the relation between public procurement and innovation, DPA’s academic journal Halduskultuur and overall Estonian public administration.
Lember, who according to the author of the article Alari Rammo “has probably researched and consulted the topic of contracting out more than any other person in Estonia”, is currently focusing his research on the following question – how could the state purchase services and goods in a way that would lead to economic side effects. According to Lember this topic has not yet been widely explored within the Estonian context, but it is a perspective one when taking in to consideration China’s experience in using public procurement to generate added value for innovation. However, such concept may not come forth at all in Estonia and in other EU member states with smaller markets due to the strict rules regulating EU’s common market.
The article also talks about contracting out public services and the third sector, which used to be Lember’s major field of research in the past. He admits that because of various reasons, contracting out services to third sector organizations has been a rather cautious process in Estonia and taken place in larger local governments only.
Other issues mentioned in the article include Lember’s claim that Estonian citizens are still relatively passive in participating in local administration and that the Estonian administrative reform should be based on further factors other than cost effectiveness only. The full version of the article (in Estonian only) can be read on EMSL’s web page (pp. 20-21.). Previous issues of Hea Kodanik are accessible here.
