Unprocurable essentialities: Situational and relational knowledge in publicly procured security services

In most cases, the procurement of services depends on a description of a service as a set of specified entities. Detailed specification and reporting provide transparency and accountability in service production and give the buyer more control over service quality and efficiency. However, some features and qualities of operational work are difficult to specify and procure in such a manner. In the present study, we examine how security service personnel view the influence of public procurement regulations on intangible organizational qualities. We focus on situational and relational knowledge, two social dimensions within and between organizations. Situational and relational knowledge is important for resilience and reliability and more generally for quality but are less manageable entities to specify and procure. Based on studies of the public procurement of two different forms of security services, we analyze how such qualities fare within an organizational discourse of procurement processes where standardized specifications, contracts, accountability, and audits are dominant. We find that situational and relational knowledge are created through experience in discussions, work operations, and joint learning with coworkers and other actors in the security network. Such organizational qualities are rarely specified in procurement, since tenders, contracts, and the systems for overseeing the service provider address other qualities. As our study shows, unprocurable knowledge still exists in the shadow of more explicitly specified qualities.