TRUMAN BODDEN LAW SCHOOL LLM Course Leader Laura Panades was invited to present her research at the leading Public Procurement conference in Nottingham in June.

The 9^th Conference on Public Procurement: Global Revolution brought together the world’s leading academics, regulators and practitioners in the field of public procurement.

The University of Nottingham hosted the event, which featured 40 workshops over two days, 130 speakers and more than 300 participants.

Topics covered included how new technologies such as blockchain, open data and online commercial marketplaces reshape procurement practices.

Ms Panades’ panel included speakers from other Caribbean countries, such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

Her research scrutinises competition in public purchasing in Bermuda, Cayman and Turks and Caicos.

The three jurisdictions are committed to competition in order to make sure that public money is spent in the best way possible. In doing so, they face market, social and legal challenges.

The research measured their competitiveness on the basis of publicly available laws and policies, accessibility of information on contract awards and local preferences. Cayman ranked first in the list.

This conference presentation feeds into the LLM programme in ‘International Finance: Law and Regulation’ at the Truman Bodden Law School, which includes a course on public-private partnerships.

The conference article is currently being reviewed for publication in the conference associated journal, the Public Procurement Law Review, a worldwide leading outlet.

Laura Panades, LLM course leader and author of the research, said:

“A new wave of progress in procurement is taking over Cayman and surrounding British Overseas Territories.

“My research concludes that, despite some pending challenges, Cayman is a leading force in promotion of competition in Public Procurement across the Caribbean.”

Mitchell Davies, Law School director, said:

“The involvement in this leading event shows the passion and commitment to high academic standards of the Law School staff.

“This presentation provides an opportunity to access first-hand knowledge and experiences from across the globe that will inform public choices in Cayman.”