Developing a 'best value' approach to public sector construction procurement

This research focuses on the concept of ‘best value’ when perceived from the perspective of the public sector client. In the case of ‘best value’ in the business enterprise, ‘best value’ is that which returns greatest value to the business enterprise’s shareholders. However, in the case of the public sector, ‘best value’ is more complex. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the use of non-price criteria in the procurement process is desirable, but that it has proved to be somewhat difficult to come to terms with dealing with non-price criteria in practice. Public sector procurement officers face the requirement to make auditable and publicly defensible decisions. This research therefore seeks to develop a rigorous ‘best value’ framework for public sector construction project procurement with a view to piloting the framework.