Figure 1
The framework shows a bordered rectangular layout divided into two vertical sections titled “Levels of Barriers” on the left and “Description of Barriers” on the right. In the left section, five stacked rectangular boxes are arranged from top to bottom with downward arrows between them. The first box at the top reads “L 1 Institutional-Regulatory Constraints (Coercive and normative pressures)”. A downward arrow labeled “Transmission” points to the second box labeled “L 2 Governance and Integrity Failures (Institutional voids)”. A downward arrow labeled “Market” points to the third box labeled “L 3 Supplier-Market Readiness Constraints (Stakeholder readiness)”. A downward arrow labeled “Capability” points to the fourth box labeled “L 4 Organisational Implementation Barriers (Procurement routines)”. Another downward arrow labeled “Capability” points to the fifth box, labeled “L 5 Capability and Cognition Deficits (Human plus tool capability)”. In the right section, five rectangular description boxes align horizontally with the corresponding levels on the left and are connected by rightward arrows from each level box. The description box aligned with L 1 contains the bullet points “Preferential procurement logic dominates (P P P F A or B-B B E E less than S P); Absence or fragmentation of national S P policy and enforceable guidance; Mandate misalignment: equity or compliance vs environmental sustainability”. The description box aligned with L 2 contains the bullet points “Political interference, fronting, weak consequence management; Corruption distorts supplier evaluation and weakens accountability”. The description box aligned with L 3 contains the bullet points “Insufficient green suppliers or unclear ‘green’ definitions and standards; Weak incentives and limited supplier capability for sustainability”. The description box aligned with L 4 contains the bullet points “Economic or price and audit compliance routines dominate bid evaluation; Environmental criteria absent in specifications and tender scoring; Policy–practice gap: weak enforcement, limited monitoring or audits; Structural frictions: decentralisation or silos or time”. The description box aligned with L 5 contains the bullet points “Limited S P awareness; weak shared understanding of S P across functions; Limited training and technical skills (e.g., L C C, E S G criteria, specs)”.A multi-level framework of institutional and market barriers shaping sustainable procurement in South African SOEs