The following table provides guidance regarding how to use the different data options presented in this section, depending on your capacity (i.e. no code, low code, code). The options presented on this table can be used to gather data and measure progress against the sustainability goals included within our sample M&E framework and developed as worked examples in this section.
No code | Low code | Code | |
Option 1: Assign tags to procurements | Manually sift through procurement notices and make a judgement call on whether or not its SPP.
Mandate authorities release a flag highlighting that a procurement is SPP. | Release a flag for SPP procurement on contract registers | Use machine learning to programmatically identify whether or not a notice is SPP from its specifications. Apply this retrospectively to increase the scope for analysis. |
Option 2: Boost performance to policy through alerts | Manually analyze SPP procurement identified in Option 1 and contact buyers to ask why they have not complied. | Use analytics tools to identify SPP procurement and to contact buyers such as the Lithuanian government’s green procurement dashboard(see also case study) | Use machine learning to automatically ingest and analyze procurement data and specifications based on parameters (whether an organization is in scope, whether a notice is duplicated) and to send reminder alerts to buyers who perform less well. |
Option 3: Measure contracts awarded | Track and monitor contracts awarded on simple spreadsheets and common analytics tools (e.g. Excel).
Use tools such as Silver Eye to turn this data into OCDS. | Create dashboards that allow analysis of buyers, suppliers, categories.
Create flags on contract registers or portals for key economic indicators: e.g. minority owned businesses or SMEs. | Link contracts award data to other metrics, such as spend data, quality metrics from regulator data (for healthcare or education settings) |
Option 4: Forecast contract impact | Research official mechanisms for measuring sustainability impact (e.g. carbon emissions or life cycle costing). Is there data (local or international) that can be collected in a spreadsheet? | Research official mechanisms for measuring sustainability impact (e.g. carbon emissions or life cycle costing). Is there data (local or international) that can be added to a database and linked to contracts? | Build a model that assigns every contract a sustainability impact score or value (e.g. carbon emission or life cycle costing) based on the nature of supply. |
Option 5: Request sustainability suggestions | Work with buyers to set out standard terms to encourage sustainability suggestions (e.g low carbon alternatives) in contract opportunities. | Explore upgrading existing contract opportunities websites to include a flag (e.g. “low carbon“) for opportunities that are seeking sustainability alternatives. | Set out a specification for a feature that requires suppliers to detail how they plan to be more sustainable (e.g. reduce carbon during a contract). |
Option 6: Measure use of certifications | Conduct discovery work around worldwide standards and certifications (see this section for examples) to identify best fit with buyer needs. Use this to work with suppliers to ensure greater accreditation and compliance. | Upgrade supplier registers, companies registers, and contracts registers to include certification labels. | Create a system that alerts suppliers to changing eco certification requirements, as well as reminders to update these as and when they’re due for expiry. |
Option 7: Monitor contract performance | Manually reconcile specifications with targeted metrics (e.g. look at specifications around SME and look at companies data). Contact suppliers to submit SPP based metrics. | Create dashboards and analytics tools from datasets and create algorithms that flag discrepancies (e.g. spreadsheet/ dashboard calculations.) | Link datasets to SPP metrics and create algorithms that flag discrepancies at scale, across all public sector procurement. |
Option 8: Record supplier data at tender submission | Request submissions of supplier data (e.g. ownership, address, certifications) from all public suppliers in soft, machine readable, format, preferably in a standard template (e.g. spreadsheets.) | Aggregate and store these templates in a database. This database could be a database specifically for SPP companies, or a general contracts database. | Use companies and people identifiers to link this data with procurement data and companies data. |
Option 9: Create SPP supplier registries | Securely share spreadsheets through inter-departmental or inter-authority open data agreements. | Identify local suppliers through contracts databases. | Create a ‘recommendation list’ (e.g. have you considered X?) for buyers when choosing supplier lists |
Option 10: Use national or statewide data | Write to suppliers requesting needed sustainability data (e.g. company ownership) in soft, machine readable format as part of their tax or financial returns. | Through an online form create an automated submission to be filled in at certain points (e.g. with tax returns.) | Use algorithms to create benchmarks and set targets around sustainability goals (e.g. gender equality) for specific industries and business sizes.
Work with specific industries with known underperforming in sustainability metrics (e.g. low employment of a gender) to increase participation and empowerment. |