Consolidated performance measurement framework for government e-procurement focusing on internal stakeholders

The purpose of this paper is to develop a consolidated framework for government e-procurement (e-GP) performance measurement based on the importance internal stakeholders attach to performance measures and metrics, providing in-depth understanding of their interest in e-GP performance.

This study is divided into two main phases: internal stakeholder identification and consolidation of performance measures and metrics. The mixed-methods approach follows semi-structured expert interviews with questionnaires collected from 413 internal stakeholders.

Five internal stakeholder groups were identified: management, auditors, financial officers, service users, and service support staff. Eight measures and 44 corresponding metrics were consolidated, and 21 significantly distinct performance metrics were identified from stakeholders’ perceptions. As expected, financial measures were most important to financial officers, while contract management was most important to service support staff.

Although e-GP processes can vary by country, this study’s approach to developing an e-GP performance measurement framework is adaptable, offering beneficial guidelines for designing e-GP performance measurement systems.

This paper goes beyond the existing literature by magnifying the internal stakeholder roles and perceptions of importance, as reflected in the consolidated e-GP performance measurement framework. The consolidation approach with theoretical references (new public management, transaction cost economics, and institutional theory) yielded comprehensive e-GP-specific performance measures and metrics, providing a rigorous approach to measuring e-GP performance.