Public Procurement Rules for Cloud and Sovereign-Cloud Services

Abstract

Background: Policy attention to cloud procurement has increased, yet there is limited empirical clarity on how institutional arrangements influence sovereign cloud and implementation quality.

Objective: The study evaluated institutional variation in approaches to cloud procurement, with particular attention to accountability, administrative capacity, and sovereign cloud.

Methods: A structured review covered 828 statutes, regulations, policies, contracts, guidance documents, administrative records, or public disclosures. A predefined two-stage coding framework assessed legal clarity, transparency, procedural safeguards, oversight, and implementation requirements, with discrepancies resolved through independent review.

Results: The document review found formal cloud procurement requirements in 55% of sources, but detailed implementation or oversight provisions in just 35%. In 27% of cases, transparency or review mechanisms were missing or incomplete. Instruments with broader operational detail were associated with clearer responsibility and fewer implementation gaps.

Conclusion: For cloud procurement, the main practical lesson is that formal requirements do not by themselves produce consistent implementation. This means that procurement controls should couple formal requirements with auditable procedures, clear ownership, and timely information exchange.

Study design: contract and policy analysis.

Publication history: Originally published in print on 15 June 2025, Volume 5, Article 12. Online abstract record added on 16 September 2026. Full-text PDF will be added when the digital galley is ready.