Abstract

Every year, the Dutch government buys a wide range of goods and services such as energy, buildings, computers and catering. The government wants to minimise the impact of these purchases on the climate and the environment. Additionally, it hopes to support people who are struggling to find work. This approach is known as Socially Responsible Public Procurement (SRPP).

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has been investigating SRPP's impact since 2015. In doing so, it aims to determine whether this approach to procurement contributes to achieving social and climate goals. RIVM looks at factors such as reduced carbon emissions, increased reuse of materials, better working conditions and access to employment.

RIVM has now developed an improved 'monitoring and evaluation framework' (M&E framework) to measure SRPP's impact. The previous framework did not provide enough information, as not all the data required were available nor collected using the same methods. This is because authorities, such as ministries, municipalities and water authorities, vary in their ways of working. That makes it harder to collect, use and compare data. For this reason, it was difficult to determine the extent to which authorities were actually achieving their goals.

The M&E framework serves as a stepwise approach, clearly describing which parties must collect what information and when to enable the systematic monitoring of procurement's societal impact. It also makes it easier to compare results across different government organisations such as municipalities, ministries and water authorities. This can help authorities demonstrate the impact of their procurement policies and assess whether they are achieving their intended goals. If they are lagging behind, they can adjust their procurement policies. This supports authorities in making better decisions about where to allocate their money. They can also learn from each other by being open about their procurement practices. This enables taxpayers' money to be put to better, more efficient use.

This study was commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. RIVM expects to test the monitoring and evaluation framework in 2026. RIVM recommends that the parties involved collaborate with each other and establish clear agreements about their roles and responsibilities.