000			01263pab a2200157 454500
008			180718b2015 xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
100			_aLamothe, Scott
245			_aHow competitive is competitive procurement in the social services?
260			_c2015
300			_ap.584-606.
362			_aSep
520			_aThe scholarship on contracting generally argues that markets for social services are weak and lacking in competition. Using data gathered from Floridaﾒs largest social service agency, the Department of Children and Families, this article adds to the discussion by constructing a more rigorous measure of competition that accounts for the quality of bidding entities. The findings indicate that while the measures used in earlier studies align reasonably well with the raw number of initial responders to competitive solicitations, they tend to overestimate competition when the quality component is included in the analysis. That is, social service markets may be even weaker than previously reported. Furthermore, an examination of the relationship between competition and performance fails to find a significant association. - reproduce
650			_aSocial services
773			_aAmerican Review of Public Administration
909			_a109543
999			_c109538 _d109538