Dynamics and challenges of public procurement reform in Morocco: Current status and prospects for improvement

Abstract

Public procurement in Morocco has been the subject of several legal texts that have continuously evolved over time. Dating back to 1907, it has been regularly adapted through reforms in 1965, 1976, 1998, 2007, 2013, and 2023. This represents a legal framework that is constantly being built and progressively adapted. Under the pressure of economic efficiency, recent reforms aim to optimize the use of public funds, reduce costs, and improve the quality of services for citizens, with the objectives of strengthening competition, simplifying procedures, and reducing delays. This research demonstrates that, although the 2023 reforms have brought significant advancements, they constitute only one step in a continuous improvement process. Additional efforts are needed to consolidate these achievements and address new challenges.

However, on the ground, public procurement professionals often face a dilemma: how to comply with a strict and complex regulatory framework while ensuring the economic performance and agility of their organizations? The excessive rigidity of these rules can hinder their ability to innovate and adapt to new challenges. The complexity of the regulatory framework pushes buyers to prioritize a legal approach over a strategic vision, thus limiting their room for maneuver and hindering the optimization of procurement. They also encounter difficulties in mastering contractual clauses, which can lead to legal uncertainties and disputes. Furthermore, the current regulations offer little flexibility to integrate recent concepts such as negotiation, innovation, and creativity into procurement procedures. The evaluation of bids is often constrained by a rigid framework, which limits the ability of public buyers to value qualitative criteria such as innovation or corporate social responsibility. Our exploratory contribution proposes practical ways to improve the performance of the procurement function, particularly in terms of cost reduction, risk management, and the capture of innovation.

Keywords: Economic performance, organizational agility, rigidity, capacity to innovate, legal approach, strategic vision, procurement optimization, innovation, social responsibility, modernization, rationalization, strengthening transparency.

Received Date: August 21, 2025              

Accepted Date: September 13, 2025            

Published Date: October 01, 2025

  Available Online at https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/440