Survey: Public procurement for hospital construction – the human rights dimension

The insights from this survey will contribute to a chapter in the forthcoming book: “Human Rights in Sustainable Public Procurement of Infrastructure – Roads, Stadiums and Hospitals”, edited by Olga Martin-Ortega and Laura Treviño Lozano and to be published by Edward Elgar.

Construction/expansion of hospitals and other medical facilities is an area of public procurement that has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that is likely to continue growing in the context of countries’ economic recovery strategies.

Through the crucial first phases of a hospital construction project – siting, planning and finance, design and construction – multiple decisions are made that can risk harm to human rights. Examples include the displacement of local communities, localized pollution, exploitation of workers on the worksite or though material supply chains, or design decisions with direct implications for physical and mental health. Conversely, all of these decisions can be made ways that mitigate risks and maximize positive social outcomes.

As environmental impacts of hospital construction are increasingly taken into account, can we likewise see momentum for human rights-respecting approaches, in turn inspiring other areas of public procurement ? The book chapter will explore the obstacles to overcome, and the factors that will help unlock a sustainable approach.

Contact Annabel Short with any questions: bellshort [@] gmail.com

Survey: Public procurement for hospital construction - the human rights dimension

Name

Organisation

Role

In which sector do you work?

In what ways does your work intersect with procurement for hospital construction?

In what regions does this work take place?

Which of the following terms are associated most frequently with the social dimensions of procurement, in the course of your work?

If "other", please explain. Or comment on your above selections.

What do you see as some of the main barriers to stronger integration of human rights considerations in hospital construction procurement processes? (Select up to three)

Lack of government leadership (policy-level, and procurement practices)

Narrow emphasis on cost and time

Thin industry margins

Siloed nature of construction industries (lack of interaction between purchasers, contractors, and material suppliers on opportunities)

Good intentions at design phase not translated into practice in construction phase

Lack of awareness of the risks and opportunities

Other

If "other", please explain. Or comment on your above selections.

What do you see as priority opportunities for scaling up greater responsibility for human rights in hospital construction? (Select up to two)

Conducive national regulatory environment and procurement processes

Conducive local regulatory environment and procurement processes

Clear business case, in terms of economic value over time

Clear expectations from investors

Greater transparency and accountability, elevating the risk of inaction

Greater awareness of human rights risks and social opportunities, among public procurement decision-makers and industry

Other

If "other", please explain. Or comment on your above selections.

Do you have examples to share of hospital construction projects in which certain human rights / social considerations have either been effectively taken into account during the planning, financing, design and construction stages, or have failed to be taken into account? Provide links where possible.

In the above examples, what were some of the factors behind this positive action (i.e. what needed to be in place), or conversely, what were the factors underlying the failure to take human rights impacts into account?

From where you sit, what do you see aa some of the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic will affect (positively or negatively) human rights considerations in the development of hospital infrastructure?

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