1. CURENT RESEARCH ISSUES IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT Khi V. Thai, Ph.D., Professor Director, School of Public Administration Interim Director, School of Criminology & Criminal Justice Florida Atlantic University

2. PROCUREMENT RESEARCH: RECENT DVELOPMENT AND CURRENT STATUS Neglected research period: up to 1990 A flurry of professional development activities and research activities in the last twenty years

3. CURENT RESEARCH ISSUES Research Issue 1: Search for a common body of knowledge – Professionalizing public procurement movement – Common body of knowledge as one of four attributes of a profession: Presence of systematic theory Authority over clients Community sanction Ethical codes

4. CURRENT RESEARCH ISSUES Research Issue 2: Procurement Reform – Procurement system: regulations/laws, procurement organization, procurement process, and procurement workforce

5. CURENT RESEARCH ISSUES Research Issue 3: Procurement Preferences – SMEs – Local/national vendor preference vs. international trade

6. CURENT RESEARCH ISSUES Research Issue 4: Procurement as an Economic Policy dealing with Economic Recession: Assessing its Effectiveness

7. CURENT RESEARCH ISSUES Research Issue 5: Search for Procurement Efficiency and Effectiveness or procurement performance improvement: A current but persistent research issue

8. CURENT RESEARCH ISSUES Observations: – Issues in procurement research: Lack of cooperation, national and international Lack of research result sharing or dissemination – Potential opportunities: suggestions and discussions