Benchmarking in public procurement

Purpose This paper investigates the technique of benchmarking to improve the quality of the public procurement process and discusses the importance of benchmarking to overcome perceived weaknesses with these processes. This is followed by a case study of Sri‐Lanka, exploring the difficulties faced by public sector employees in separating the daily business of government from the political influences of its elected leaders. Design/methodology/approach Initially the literature review was used to examine the key principles of government procurement and how they could be benchmarked. This formed the theoretical base for the discussion. The case study of Sri‐Lanka has been used very effectively to discuss the experiences of developing countries. Findings It is revealed that reform solutions within government procurement systems must…