When local authorities start a project to make public spaces climate resilient, they need to convert their plan into public procurement specifications. Yet it is very important that climate adaptive requirements are not lost in translation. Therefore, Green Team is working hard to find solutions for key challenges in procurement procedures. Whereas we previously identified major procurement challenges during a partner meeting, we now had the opportunity to discuss them with experts in the field!
Written by John Boon
Input from the General Assembly of IFLA Europe
One of the partners of the Green Team project is IFLA Europe, which is short for the European Region of the International Federation of Landscape Architects. Amongst their members, they count representatives from several European countries including both landscape architects from private firms and professionals working for local governments. They thus represent a very interesting public to discuss procurement challenges.
Identification of major challenges
During the in-person partner meeting in Papenburg (Germany, spring 2025), the Green Team partners identified first ten major challenges to successfully integrate climate adaptation into design and public procurement. These challenges include lack of experience, poorly formulated objectives, lack of objectivated standards, insufficiently specified minimum requirements or award criteria, etc.
Scope of the workshop
During the general assembly in October 2025, IFLA Europe organised a dedicated workshop to validate our understanding of procurement challenges and enrich our set of potential solutions. This workshop consisted of two parts:
Validation of challenges
The challenges previously identified by the Green Team partners in Papenburg, were presented to all participants. It quickly became very clear that these challenges resonated with the broader group of landscape architects present. Participants were also invited to highlight any additional procurement issues encountered in their daily work. It was encouraging to see that many of the topics discussed during the partner meeting were widely recognized.
Exploring solutions
The group then discussed possible strategies to address these challenges. We also explored differences and similarities across countries, recognising that cultural factors play a significant role. It became evident that one-size-fits-all solutions are not feasible.
Key Insights
Good client-contractor relationships are an important starting point. Establishing trust between clients and contractors is crucial for achieving successful project outcomes. While maintaining integrity and avoiding overly close relationships is essential, a complete lack of relationship often leads to inefficient processes and suboptimal results.
Framework contracts, which foster longer-term partnerships, were identified as a promising approach to strengthen collaboration. Another solution is to have a market consultation prior to the procurement. During this consultation contractors can bring in what is important for them. This gives clients that define a procurement a better insight in what is needed.
Next steps
Based on the discussions, we can confidently conclude that we are on the right track, with our identified issues and solutions strongly resonating with the wider professional community. We will continue our analysis and keep looking for inspiring solutions and best practices of local authorities that have successfully integrated climate adaptation into design and public procurement procedures. Indeed, the Green Team consortium is working on a publication that highlights the key challenges related to climate-resilient procurement and links them to solutions and concrete best-practice examples from the field.
If you are interested in sharing your own experience on this topic, please check out our call for input below !
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