The barriers that are previously discussed are the barriers that are known in the literature and describe on macro level the complexity of realizing the required transition arena that Loorbach (2010) described. The knowledge regarding a transition and innovation provides a framework in which the barriers of innovative procurement plays a role. The barriers that are indicated provides guidance to how the required transition arena can be realized by applying procurement processes to realize the adoption and implementation of an innovation or transition that Winch (2010) described. However, the learning process plays a role in the development of an innovation but does not have a clear place in the construction process. Learning from projects is essentials but does not have a centralized role in the current construction industry (Winch, 2010). The next step is to combine the knowledge related to the three parts of procurement processes that can be used by public organizations to realize a transition and the subjects that are important to address in this procurement process.
Combining the determined barriers in combination with the three parts of procurement processes that can be used to stimulate a transition or innovation is graphically presented in Table 6. This table has on the horizontal axes the three pillars of procurement which can be used to stimulate a transition and on the vertical axis the seven barriers that are indicated in the literature. This table forms the theoretical framework for the subject of stimulating a transition by applying procurement processes. However, to effectively stimulate a major transition, long term vision is required to realize a learning cycle and one innovative orientated procurement processes wont realize a radical innovation (Slaughter, 2010).
Table 6: Framework of factors for stimulating a transition or innovation (own source)
Boundary conditions Selection criteria Award criteria Cooperation Specifications Capabilities of procurer Risks Desire to innovate Magnitude of contract Management of IPR
This framework provides a graphical presentation how a procurement processes can be designed based on decisions and factors that have to be specified for the desired innovation. Specifying the procurement process to the desired innovation is crucial to realize an effective procurement process. This limitation makes it complex to answer the research question because a single answer cannot be provided. It depends on the type of desired innovation (Interview 1).
The research question focused on how procurement processes can be used to stimulate an innovation in combination with the legal framework. The legal framework described procurement processes. such as selection and open procedure, that are used in the construction industry and the essentials principles that are relevant when designing a procurement process. This legal outline led to the three pillars of procurement processes that can be used to stimulate a transition. The boundary conditions, selection criteria and award criteria are the pillars which a procuring organization can use to stimulate an innovation or transition.
Within these three pillars, the procurer has to determine how and to what extend it wants to stimulate the desired innovation or change. The seven indicated factors describe which subjects have to be addressed in the design of the procurement process to effectively stimulate a transition or innovation. These factors have to be custom made to stimulate a change. For example, A major project with much risk for the partner will most likely not results in participants in the tender procedure unless the incentive is sufficient. The only limit that the procurer has are the six principles of procuring processes. As long they are accommodated, the procurer has much freedom.
The developed framework can be used to analyze and compare projects in the later stage of the research. Next to this comparison it can also be used to determine if procurement processes are in balance by addressing all the relevant barriers.
Conclusion
This chapter focused on stimulating an innovation in a broad context in which transitions play a crucial role by applying procurement processes. Embracing the concept of an innovation and applying the innovation is time-consuming and requires an attitude from the procurer that focusses on stimulating the innovation for a longer time span. A system transition is a long-term process in which the learning cycle has to be repeated to realize or improve the desired innovation. This requires a transition arena which is customised to the desired innovation for each construction project. To realize this transition arena in the construction industry the procurement process is used. This procurement process describes the boundaries, scope of a project and also describes the room for innovation in which the partner can act. The boundary conditions, selection criteria and the award criteria are the three pillars that a public organization has, within the procurement process, to stimulate a transition. The legal possibilities of these pillars are endless as long as the procurement process provides every organizations with equal opportunities and is transparent from the start. However, these pillars do not describe how an innovation can be stimulated by applying procurement process, it just describes which and to what extent. The part of the research question that describe exactly how a procurement process should be used to stimulate a transition is difficult to describe because how an innovation has to be stimulated depends on the desired innovation or transition. A small innovation that is project/problem orientated will require a different type of stimulation than a system innovation in which economic and social changes are desired. A system innovation requires an attitude that is focused on realizing an ambition instead of solving a problem. The determined seven factors provide context to which subjects have to be addressed in an effective procurement process that is focused on realizing this ambition. The combination of the three pillars and factors resulted in a model that can be used to design and analyse procurement processes that have the goal to realize a system transition or innovation. These pillars and the factors have to be used to realize a transition arena in which the system transition or innovation can thrive. The relevance of the factors and the impact of these factors for the transition arena depend on the desired system transition or innovation.