Translating Sustainability : Sustainable Public Procurement Practices in Swedish and German Public Organizations

Sammanfattning: The idea of sustainability is widespread, but it often remains unclear how the idea travelled and how it is translated into practice. In this thesis it is analysed how public organizations translate sustainability into action through Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP). First, an overview of translation theory and previous research on SPP is given. Basing on an empirical analysis, two cases of public organizations in Sweden and Germany that integrated SPP in their strategies are described and analysed. It is revealed that translation theory applies to the two cases and that the theory is useful to explain how the concept of sustainability is acted upon. Characteristics of processes of translation can be observed in both cases, indicating that the translation of the same idea can result in different practices and outcomes. It is found that although both public organizations use the same term, the way SPP is implemented and practiced differs highly. The thesis includes reflections on this different outcome and considers the importance of local contexts and actors.