Assessing Public Procurement of Innovation as a Cross-Domain Policy: A Framework and Application to the Chinese Context

Despite the fact that public procurement of innovation (PPI) has become an increasingly popular policy tool, there has been a lack of holistic approaches to assessing policies promoting PPI. This article attempts to address this gap by proposing a framework which links the multiple levels and aspects related to the design and implementation of PPI policies. By adopting a systemic understanding of public procurement as well as innovation policies, this article positions PPI as a cross-domain policy which is inherently a mix of procurement and innovation-related interventions. The article develops an assessment framework using vertical coherence and horizontal coherence as criteria. It then illustrates the use of the framework by applying it to PPI policies in China. The framework can aid the conduct of ex ante as well as ex post assessment of PPI policies, which can further inform policy design, implementation, and learning.