Parts of Tech's science-based policy advice may be subject to competitive tendering
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark has notified that they may put the entire service agreement on Food Quality and Consumer Behaviour and the focus area of animal behaviour, welfare and health under the Livestock Agreement out to competitive tender. The ministry is now initiating an impact assessment to determine whether the competitive tendering of these areas is a good idea at all.
When we at Tech advise the authorities based on framework agreements with the various ministries, the advisory comes from strong research environments that have spent years building competence and becoming leaders in their field.
"Competition is fundamentally healthy, and this also applies to strong research environments and collaboration practices that are as well-established as those we have with ministries and government agencies. And if something can be optimised, it is only good to bring it to light," says Ole Hertel, Vice Dean for public sector consultancy at Tech. He continues:
"At Tech, we have a unique position to deliver the science-based knowledge that equips politicians to make the important decisions that the times demand. Our research areas are highly relevant, not least with the implementation of the Green Tripartite Agreement, and I cannot think of any other knowledge institutions that, through solid internal collaboration, can cover the entire journey from farm to fork in the same way as we do. Therefore, I can best imagine that the ministry's impact assessments will conclude that they will not proceed with competitive tendering."
According to the plan, the ministry will spend the first half of this year on the impact assessment, with Tech naturally contributing with the necessary knowledge. The ministry will then decide in the autumn whether to proceed with the competitive tendering or not.
"I understand that the minister is investigating whether he can get more advice for the money by putting it out to competitive tender, as it is part of his job to use taxpayers' money as efficiently as possible. I just don't think anyone else can undertake this important task better or cheaper than our researchers," says Ole Hertel.
Regardless of the outcome of the ministry's impact assessment, the existing agreements will run until the end of 2027.