Handbook for the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement

The handbook defines Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) as a process to optimize value-for-money across an asset's lifecycle, rather than focusing solely on the lowest purchase price. It provides a framework for integrating sustainability into every stage of the procurement cycle—from needs analysis and market consultations to technical specifications and contract conditions. The document details specific mandatory and optional criteria for high-spend categories such as IT equipment, vehicles, and infrastructure, while emphasizing the use of the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) principle. It also outlines strategies to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the potential for SPP to act as a catalyst for inclusive green growth and foreign direct investment.

• Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) shifts the focus from the lowest initial purchase price to optimizing value-for-money over the entire lifecycle of an asset, including operation, maintenance, and disposal costs.
• Public procurement is a significant economic lever, representing approximately 20 per cent of a country's GDP on average, with specific examples such as Brazil at 32% and China at 58%.
• To implement SPP effectively, procurers are encouraged to use performance-based or functional specifications, which describe the required result rather than the specific product, allowing suppliers to propose the best available technologies.
• The Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) principle is recommended over lowest-price evaluations because it allows for the inclusion of qualitative environmental and social criteria and full lifecycle costing.
• Governments can use preferential purchasing programs to support social inclusion and the growth of SMEs, such as the Dominican Republic's mandate to allocate 20% of public procurement for MSMEs to women-owned enterprises.
• SPP can serve as a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) under the UNFCCC, allowing developing countries to leverage international climate finance by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through green procurement policies.
• The handbook provides specific mandatory requirements for major spending areas, such as requiring that office IT equipment in Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, and Argentina comply with Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS).
• For vehicle procurement, the handbook suggests mandatory compliance with EURO 5 or US TIER 2 Bin 5 exhaust emissions standards and requires proof of compliance with ILO Core Conventions throughout the supply chain.
• Infrastructure projects can be structured through various Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), including Concession contracts (typically 20-30 years) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangements to attract private capital.
• Green building criteria include mandatory measures to control soil erosion and a requirement to protect or restore 40 per cent of the site’s greenfield area to preserve biodiversity.

APA

Casier, L., Huizenga, R., Perera, O., Ruete, M., & Turley, L. (2015). Handbook for the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-handbook-ingp-en.pdf

Chicago

Casier, Liesbeth, Richard Huizenga, Oshani Perera, Marina Ruete, and Laura Turley. Handbook for the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2015. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-handbook-ingp-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Casier |first1=Liesbeth |last2=Huizenga |first2=Richard |last3=Perera |first3=Oshani |last4=Ruete |first4=Marina |last5=Turley |first5=Laura |title=Handbook for the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2015 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-handbook-ingp-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{casier2015handbook, author = {Casier, Liesbeth and Huizenga, Richard and Perera, Oshani and Ruete, Marina and Turley, Laura}, title = {{Handbook for the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2015}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-handbook-ingp-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }