On June 25 2013 The European Court of Auditors (ECA) 2012 Fabra Vallés Award was awarded to Mieke Hoezen of the University of Twente in The Netherlands for her research project titled “The competitive dialogue procedure: negotiations and commitment in inter-organisational construction projects.”
“I am really honoured because I started doing research not just to make a scientific contribution but also to contribute to society,” Hoezen said on hearing of the Award. “The Award is a crown to this work,” she adds.
Results from this research project are set to appear in a forthcoming edition of the Inderscience publication the International Journal of Project Organisation and Management. That paper “Procuring complex projects using the competitive dialogue” will discuss European Commission efforts to develop a procurement system aimed at aligning the complex demands of principals with the possible solutions of contractors.
Hoezen has compared the expectations of the EC and 33 experts from industry and demonstrates that most anticipate that the new approach to procurement will meet the EC’s objectives of dialogue, competition, innovation and trust, there are experts in the Dutch construction industry who foresee several negative side effects. Among those side effects might be large transaction costs, lack of clarity about when the procedure is allowed to be used, risk averseness and opportunistic behaviour of the parties involved, and a lack of openness, reports Hoezen.
The award recognises Hoezen’s outstanding research into public sector auditing and provides an incentive and recognition for research on public audit related issues. ECA President Vítor Caldeira said: “In presenting the 2012 ECA Award to Ms Hoezen for her research on the EU competitive dialogue procedure, I believe the Court has found itself a worthy prize winner.”
More details and a video interview with Hoezen is available online together with a video interview.