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ABSTRACT
Competition is a core element in systems of government purchase of services. Using government procurement data collected from three cities (Zhuhai, Zhongshan, and Foshan) from 2011 to 2018, this study develops a rigorous competition measurement index to interpret the quality of bidding entities. We find most procurement projects in social services to contain policy-driven and market-driven competition. Significant differences are observed in competition among cities due to purchase scale, geographical location, and government protectionism. Moreover, competition gradually decreases over time. The paper also presents implications for China’s welfare governance.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Zhifeng He
Zhifeng He, Lecturer, PhD. He is a Lecturer in Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences at Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, China. He is also a chairman of the board of directors in Jingshi Social Work Center at Yangjiang City. His research interests cover government purchase of social work service, volunteering and social welfare policy.
Xiaohe Liu
Xiaohe Liu, Research assistant. She is a research assistant of the School of Social Development and Public Policy at Beijing Normal University,China. After receiving her MSc degree in Health Economics and Decision Science at University College London, she has focused on public health and social medicine. Her research interests include social security, social work and public health administration
Yu-fang Chang
Yu-Fang Chang, Assistant Professor. She is an assistant professor at National Chi Nan University, Taiwan. Her research interests include social development, social enterprise and public marketing.