Identifying Operational Requirements to Select Suitable Decision Models for a Public Sector E-Procurement Decision Support System

Mohamed Adil, Miguel Baptista Nunes, Guo Chao Peng

Abstract


Public sector procurement should be a transparent and fair process. Strict legal requirements are enforced on public sector procurement to make it a standardised process. To make fair decisions on selecting suppliers, a practical method which adheres to legal requirements is important. The research that is the base for this paper aimed at identifying a suitable Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method for the specific legal and functional needs of the Maldivian Public Sector. To identify such operational requirements, a set of focus group interviews were conducted in the Maldives with public officials responsible for procurement decision making. Based on the operational requirements identified through focus groups, criteria-based evaluation is done on published MCDA methods to identify the suitable methods for e-procurement decision making. This paper describes the identification of the operational requirements and the results of the evaluation to select suitable decision models for the Maldivian context.

Keywords


Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA); Decision Model; Focus Group; Public Sector; e-Procurement

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4301/s1807-17752014000200001

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