Search Results (45)

This article analyses how capacity building programmes interact with structural constraints in mission-oriented climate policy, focusing on the Italian pilot Let’sGOv (GOverning the Transition through Pilot Actions) within the EU Mission “100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030”. Using an iterative, reflexive methodology (document analysis, direct observation, and qualitative analysis of questionnaires, workshop outputs, and online training feedback), it examines how municipal actors experience and reinterpret capacity building across three coupled dimensions: internal organisational capacity, external stakeholder relations, and multilevel governance interfaces. The empirical setting is a network of nine Italian Mission Cities (Bergamo, Bologna, Florence, Milan, Padua, Parma, Prato, Rome, Turin) supported by technical partners. The bench-learning pathway combined barrier diagnosis, an intensive in-person workshop, and a codesigned online curriculum structured around three thematic clusters (engagement, data, climate finance). Findings indicate that persistent barriers—departmental silos, resource and time scarcity, rigid human resources and procurement routines, asymmetric data access, and regulatory instability—are not removed by capacity building; rather, they are progressively articulated, specified, and reframed into actionable organisational and policy demands. Bench-learning strengthens diagnostic and relational capacities and enables modest institutional innovations (templates, protocols, internal task forces, shared policy briefs), while “hard” governance infrastructures largely remain unchanged. The paper argues that networked capacity building contributes to the emergence of nascent, project-dependent multilevel interfaces only when it supports collective negotiation with national actors and translates local experimentation into durable multilevel interfaces, mitigating risks of projectification and downward responsibility shifting. Full article

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed logistical challenges on health systems, particularly for mass vaccination campaigns under emergency conditions. In decentralized health systems, the absence of a structured preparedness phase may compromise coordination, allocation, and operational performance. This study analyzes the vaccination campaign in a municipality in southern Brazil, examining how the overlap of the preparedness and response phases affected outcomes and how alternative logistical scenarios could have altered campaign performance. Methods: An empirical analysis was conducted using scenario-based simulation with stock and flow structures. The model represents vaccine procurement, distribution across national, state, regional, and municipal levels, and municipal vaccination capacity. Real data from the 2021 vaccination campaign in the municipality were used to build a Business-as-Usual scenario, compared with alternative scenarios involving changes in procurement predictability, allocation rules, and operational capacity. Results: Vaccination outcomes were strongly conditioned by upstream allocation decisions, particularly at the national state level. Isolated adjustments at intermediate supply chain levels produced limited improvements when upstream constraints persisted. Scenarios combining improved alignment between forecasted and acquired doses with operational capacity showed higher vaccination potential, revealing a gap between observed performance and system capacity. Conclusions: The findings reinforce that preparedness is a critical determinant of vaccination performance and must precede response in emergency contexts. Supply predictability alone is insufficient without coordinated allocation mechanisms and operational readiness across governance levels. This study provides empirical evidence on how preparation-related decisions shape vaccination outcomes in decentralized health systems and inform logistical coordination in future emergencies. Full article

Many construction tenders conducted by public institutions and organizations are canceled for various reasons, leading to project delays, resource inefficiencies, and disruptions to public services. This research aims to analyze the reasons for construction tender cancellations and the factors that influence the likelihood of cancellation, with a focus on institutional capacity and transaction costs. The cancelled tenders were obtained from the Electronic Public Procurement Platform (EKAP), which is officially used by public bodies. A total of 2483 construction tenders canceled in 2024 were analyzed. This figure represents 15.44% of the construction tenders conducted in Turkey in 2024. The construction tenders examined were subjected to a categorical frequency analysis using administrative reason codes. Additionally, weighted logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the likelihood of cancellation among the 16,105 construction tenders held in 2024. According to the analysis results, region, type of administration, time, and tender type have a statistically significant impact on cancellation. The primary causes for cancellation include bids substantially above the estimated cost, the absence of submitted tenders, and the issuance of a published circular. The municipal elections held in March 2024 and the accompanying circular have led to an increase in tender cancellations. Inadequate institutional capacity may lead to uncertainty in the process; this, in turn, may result in the suspension of tenders and a rise in transaction costs. In this context, strengthening institutional resilience can be seen as a facilitator in resolving many issues. The factors that lead to tender cancellations and the suggested approaches can offer useful guidance for both the administration and contractors in normalizing processes. Furthermore, public authorities might consider investments to enhance institutional capacity to reduce the risk of tender cancellations. Full article

Amid China’s “Manufacturing Power” push, full-chain digital restructuring in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area remains hampered by mismatches among technology, organization, and environment. We therefore explored how shop floor actors perceive and shape this Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) interplay. Semi-structured interviews with frontline operators, maintainers, and supply chain staff from GBA manufacturers were inductively coded, yielding 36 concepts, 10 categories, and 3 core TOE aggregates that were woven into a grounded model. The analysis shows that industrial internet platforms and smart equipment only create value when matched by flexible shop floor structures, cross-department data protocols, and skilled teams; otherwise, data silos, simulation–production deviations, and “buy-but-not-build” procurement stall adoption. Market pressure for customized, short-lead-time products and divergent municipal pilot policies further intensify the TOE balancing act, particularly for SMEs with weak absorptive capacity. By revealing a grassroots “technology-driven → organization-adapted → environment-adjusted” spiral that is moderated by frontline feedback, the study extends the TOE framework to micro-level, regional innovation theory and offers policy–practice levers for differentiated, cross-city manufacturing upgrading. Full article

Greece’s National Climate Law, enacted under L. 4936, mandates the development of Municipal Emission Reduction Plans (MERPs) by local authorities. Publicly available MERP procurement data contains valuable information that can be utilized to provide an overview and insights into MERP procurement and development. The main objective of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of Greek MERP procurement data and identify patterns in the contract cost estimation of mitigation action plans in Greek municipalities. For this purpose, MERP procurement data was collected from the official procurement register, KIMDIS, and subsequently analyzed through a bivariate approach comparing the collected data with selected independent variables. The results are stratified by population range and official municipal classification to enable comparison between different sizes and types of municipalities. The results indicate that a total of 44% of municipalities in Greece procured their MERP, with significant delays in adherence to official deadlines and only after the MERP became a prerequisite for funding-related matters. Additionally, the procurement process was highly characterized by single bidding. Average contract duration ranged from 110 to 220 days, with an average contract value between EUR 18,000 and EUR 33,000. The difference between tender budget and contract value averaged between 0 and 5%. Full article

Municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling is constrained by contamination, heterogeneity, and infrastructure built around material-specific pathways. We introduce effectiveness-normalized greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a system-level metric that adjusts reported process burdens by feedstock eligibility (Effectiveness Fraction, EF) and carbon recovery efficiency (CRE) to reflect real-world MSW conditions. Using published LCA data and engineering estimates, we benchmark six pathways, mechanical recycling, PET depolymerization, enzymatic depolymerization, pyrolysis, supercritical water gasification (SCWG), and Regenerative Robust Gasification (RRG), at the scale of mixed MSW. Normalizing for EF and CRE reveals large differences between process-level and system-level performance. Mechanical recycling and PET depolymerization show low process intensities yet high normalized impacts because they can treat only a small share of plastics in MSW. SCWG performs well at broader eligibility. RRG, a plasma-assisted molten-bath approach integrated with methanol synthesis, maintains the lowest normalized impact (~1.6 t CO₂e per ton of recycled polymer) while accepting virtually all organics in MSW and vitrifying inorganics. Modeled methanol yields are ~200–300 gal·t⁻¹ without external hydrogen and up to ~800 gal·t⁻¹ with renewable methane reforming. The metric clarifies trade-offs for policy and investment by rewarding technologies that maximize diversion and carbon retention. We discuss how effectiveness-normalized results can be incorporated into LCA practice and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks and outline research needs in techno-economics, regional scalability, hydrogen sourcing, and uncertainty analysis. Findings support aligning infrastructure and procurement with robust, scalable routes that deliver circular manufacturing from heterogeneous MSW. Full article

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis comparing the implementation of electric and diesel buses for public transport services in the low-density area of the City of Jastrebarsko in Croatia. It utilizes a multidimensional approach and incorporates direct and indirect costs, such as vehicle acquisition, operation, charging, maintenance, and environmental impact costs during the lifecycle of the buses. The results show that, despite the higher initial investment in electric buses, these vehicles offer savings, especially when coupled with significantly reduced emissions of pollutants, which decreases indirect costs. However, local contexts differ, leading to a need to revise whether or not a municipality can finance the procurement and operations of such a fleet. The paper utilizes a robust methodological framework, integrating a proposal based on real-world data and demand and combining it with predictive analytics to forecast long-term benefits. The findings of the paper support the introduction of buses as a sustainable solution for Jastrebarsko, which provides insights for public transport planners, urban planners, and policymakers, with a discussion about the specific issues regarding the introduction, procurement, and operations of buses of different propulsion in a low-density area. Full article

Background: The current food system is unsustainable, making it essential to address the issue globally through adequate policies and sustainable development goals. The European Union aims to dedicate 25% of farmland to organic farming by 2030 to promote sustainable practices. Warsaw is the first Polish city working on an urban sustainable food policy; however, there is limited data on the sustainable food system (SFS) and organic sector available. Objectives: This research examines whether consumers in Warsaw who prefer organic food also display other sustainable characteristics and awareness, reflected in their food choices, dietary habits, and other food-related behaviors. Methods: A household survey (HHS) was conducted as part of the SysOrg project, focusing on evaluating the sustainability of food systems in Warsaw in the areas of diet and organic food. The clusters of respondents, grouped by the self-declared proportion of organic foods in their diets, were analyzed and compared, and in addition, correlation analyses of the share of organic food in diets and other sustainability parameters were performed. Results: The study of 449 respondents indicates that Warsaw is at an early stage of the organic transformation, with the largest group of respondents declaring a 1–10% share of organic products in their diet. There were significant differences in dietary choices, sustainability awareness, and food selection habits and motivations among various consumer groups depending on their organic food share. Conclusions: Overall, this study’s findings highlight a link between organic food consumption and certain sustainable behaviors, suggesting potential for organic consumers’ contribution to a sustainable transformation. The study offers valuable insights into the existing knowledge gap regarding the behaviors of organic and sustainable consumers in Warsaw. Furthermore, despite the non-random nature of the sample limiting the generalizability of findings, it serves as a preliminary resource for other European cities that are formulating food policies and incorporating Green Public Procurement (GPP) into their procurement processes, especially for municipalities within the Visegrad Group. Full article

Smart Land Use Planning (SLUP) has gained increasing attention in urban development, yet few studies examine its implementation from an urban governance perspective. This study investigates municipal SLUP project characteristics, their spatial distribution, and intercity cooperation networks by analyzing 3689 SLUP government procurement contracts in China’s Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. Using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation model, this study identified four main SLUP project types: real estate management, land resource protection, land use planning, and geographic information services. Spatial analysis revealed significant imbalances across cities, with SLUP projects concentrated in central cities while other cities heavily depend on intercity cooperation for technical support and services. Network analysis showed a core–periphery structure, with industrial structure and institution similarities significantly facilitating cooperation, while geographic distance and cultural similarity had limited impact. Future research should expand data sources to enable cross-regional comparative analysis. This study offers empirical evidence for policymaking in the implementation of SLUP and regional coordinated development. Full article

Driven by the path of ecological transition, municipal solid waste management is now more than ever at the center of debates on the most efficient delivery methods. Although competition policy advocates subdivision into lots to facilitate medium-sized enterprise participation, in some cases—notably when substantial investments are required to achieve circular economy and sustainable development goals—a single-operator model may prove more efficient. Using a mixed research approach that integrates empirical evidence and market analysis, this study examines the relevance of cost curves, transaction costs, and market structure in determining the optimal service delivery model. The findings indicate that for large cities, consolidating MSW management services under a single contract yields significant cost advantages due to economies of scale and scope and is better suited to supporting the investments necessary for circular economy objectives. Practical implications for local policymakers highlight the need to assess utility sector policies carefully. Decisions at the local level should account for the interplay between the economic environment and the role of industrialization and economies of scale in fostering sustainable development. We suggest policymakers design policies that balance market efficiency with equitable access to services while also considering the scale of service provision, as it influences sustainability and economic resilience. Full article

This study evaluates the potential impact of new energy communities (ECs) on the electric infrastructure within the Italian regulatory framework using publicly available information on reverse power flow metrics in high-voltage (HV)/medium-voltage (MV) interfaces and calculating the municipal energy balance. The current legislation is incentivizing EC configurations where members connected to the same HV/MV interface are sharing energy, predominantly produced by new-generation units. To identify critical territories, primary substation service areas are overlapped with reverse flow occurrences, focusing on cases that exceed 5% of the year. The output is utilized to indicate the municipalities that fall within these areas. The municipalities deemed critical are further evaluated, defining a Key Performance Index (KPI) as the ratio of local production capacity to consumption, with generation data procured by the national database on production units and load estimates derived from provincial cumulative data, adjusted using census information on population and employment with a municipal resolution. A piecewise linearization approach is employed to examine the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the KPI, enabling a traffic light-like criticality classification. The results provide a relative assessment and highlight municipalities with a higher risk of detrimental impact of EC adoption within the current framework. The outcome is presented as a national georeferenced map illustrating the municipal criticality. This emphasizes the need for revising the regulative framework, potentially enabling the utilization of existing generators in critical areas and leveraging load flexibility and increased local energy sharing to procure benefits from EC adoption. Full article

Food from home can increase feelings of belonging and act as a source of comfort for people who move to another country and their children. Nevertheless, people who move elsewhere often start taking over dietary elements of the host culture, a dynamic process referred to as food acculturation. This paper argues that this process is not only related to identity negotiations and emotional connections, but that food choices are also shaped by everyday practical realities. Using a social practice theory-inspired approach, focusing on the elements of material, competence, and meaning, this study investigates the food provisioning practices of eighteen people with a migration background through semi-structured interviews. The study’s findings show that procuring typical ingredients from one’s home country is relatively easy in the study area of Almere, the Netherlands. Cooking skills, however, are more difficult to maintain and transfer to the next generation. Finally, the meaning of eating foods from home lies in connecting these foods to celebrations and get-togethers. In regular day-to-day meals, respondents often opt for more convenient dishes, either from their root cuisine or from Dutch or other food cultures. The paper concludes that respondents’ eating patterns balance cultural traditions with practical constraints of modern life, as people navigate their food routines while making practical choices that align with their daily routines and social environments. Municipalities, social services, and community initiatives could direct more attention to celebrating the culinary heritage that connects people from diverse migration backgrounds by organizing exchanges and get-togethers and fostering culturally appropriate food environments. Full article

Smart cities leverage information and communication technologies to enhance urban life quality, essential in densely populated environments requiring comprehensive planning. A critical area in urban settings is food production and delivery, where effective management becomes vital. New technologies can assist, but require models that support innovative production and commercialization methods. This study proposes an integration model between family farming—producers of organic food—and urban areas—consumers of these products. The model focuses on the management of organic food production and delivery to meet urban demands, serving as a tool in the transformation of these areas into smart municipalities. Additionally, this study suggests an alternative certification method for organic food production within family farming. A systematic literature review was conducted using the Methodi Ordinatio methodology. Content analysis of the selected articles identified strategies cities can adopt to promote organic certification, emphasizing transparent governance, public food procurement policies, and participatory certification systems. The proposed model aims to reduce bureaucracy and improve family farmers’ income, aligning with several Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Full article

This article explores the relationship between local authorities (mainly municipal organisations) and a central purchasing body (CPB). It critiques, from an agency theory perspective, the difficulties in aligning socio-economic goals of multiple municipal organisations with the pursuit of procurement goals by the CPB. The aim of this study is to explore which solutions, (governance mechanisms) for agency problems within a Dutch municipality–CPB relationship, are critical in aligning socio-economic goals within a collaborative public procurement (CPP) setting. The quantitative analysis of data from a questionnaire was used to conduct an explorative factor analysis (EFA). The questionnaire was issued to all municipalities in the Netherlands. Grounded on the EFA, the underlying factors within five categories of governance mechanisms for agency problems were recognised. Besides supporting the existing theory, this study provides additional knowledge in the field of agency theory and collaborative public procurement (CPP). The study resulted in the development of a comprehensive measurement scale to conduct research based on agency theory within the context of CPP governance and specifically in the area of central purchasing bodies. The results of this study are applicable in practise on an administrative and management level. Municipal organisations that initiate and/or govern a central purchasing body can take the results of this study into account to develop new standards on the further development of the CPB. At a managerial level, this study provides useful insight for decision-makers in municipal organisations to improve the way in which a CPB executes collective tenders at hand and determine if the joint approach delivers the best results in terms of their procurement objectives. Full article