Fractional Institutional Endeavors and eProcurement in Local Government

Although official Danish policy is to increase e-procurement in all public institutions, the push is facing severe challenges. We have surveyed e-procurement in Danish local government (n=152, response of 55%). It shows a reality lacking behind the rhetoric about the “professional shopper” implicit pushed by institutions that aims for increasing e-procurement. Government has decentralized and pushed reforms that contradicts attempt to make coordinated institutional actions. The most frequent use of e-procurement is within the area of seeking information and receiving support. Also, we have found that the larger municipality (measured by number of citizens and budget), the more likely the municipality is not to seek information through digital channels. In the other aspects of eprocurement (ordering and paying goods and services) we have found only marginal use and no correlation with number of citizens and budget. Kim Viborg Andersen, Niels Christian Juul, Sara Korzen-Bohr, Jimmy Kevin Pedersen