## 6 Testing the SPP Toolbox: Three Case Studies  
The case studies were implemented in the period 2012-2014 and the activities were supported by a European funded project. In order to introduce the necessary activities for the SPP Toolbox operationalization, regular meetings were held in each organization's premises, with the aim of explaining the methodology, planning the activities to be performed until the next meeting and gather and discuss results. Further support was given by regular e-mail and skype communication. Additionally, the three organizations participated in a network of Portuguese public procurers, exchanging experiences and attending a series of trainings on GPP, SPP and PPI. Engagement activities with suppliers provided information on what requirements could be introduced in the tenders. As referred in Section 4, the toolbox was initially focused mainly on GPP and SPP. It did not exclude PPI, neither explicit this option. Each of the three public organizations followed the six steps envisioned in the SPP Toolbox, to develop a SPP vision, policy and targets, operationalized through the SPP action plan. This allowed flexibility in the objectives to be achieved, according to the characteristics, experience and knowledge of each organization, which, in turn, was reflected in the results attained, as detailed in the following sections. In what regards to regime, this period was characterized, at European level, by an increasing focus on GPP and SPP, translated in the evolution of the procurement directives from 2004 to 2014 [47], highlighting the possibility of using environmental and social criteria and opening up the link between procurement and innovation. At the national level, an opposite shift was occurring, corresponding to the end of the first National GPP Action Plan 2008-2010 [59]--which was not replaced until 2016--and to the economic crisis, which focused tenders' evaluation on economic criteria (purchase price), thus counteracting the trend for an increasing number of public authorities adhering to GPP and SPP. Thus,in Portugal, the regime was characterized by GPP practices, unlike SPP and PPI. During this period, the European landscape has evolved, with the release of long term policies exerting an increasing pressure on public procurement calling for the inclusion innovation goals, for example the European Union [49], as discussed in Section 1. Case study 1: Torres Vedras  
Torres Vedras had some prior ad hoc experiences with GPP, supported by a top politician; this stimulus was crucial for the decision to implement the SPP Toolbox. A general GPP commitment approved by the municipal council already existed; the head of the procurement department participated in GPP training activities; and, there were occasional contacts with suppliers. The scope of the activities implemented in Torres Vedras covered all departments of the municipality, except for the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services. Torres Vedras developed a SPP vision, policy and targets, operationalized through the SPP action plan within the timeframe 2013-2020. The main results from the SPP Toolbox implementation were: (1) implementation of a procurement procedure for the acquisition of urban pest control services, with the inclusion of sustainability criteria and the contract subsequently being awarded to a company that fully met all requirements; (2) definition of sustainability criteria for the procurement of school meals and uniforms; (3) consultation meetings with suppliers in the fields of construction works, professional clothes and food/catering, regarding the main obstacles faced by suppliers in complying with the EU GPP criteria, as well as strategies to meet such requirements; and, (4) definition of a code of conduct for suppliers, which was approved by the council. Figure 4 represents the development of the municipality during the period of implementation of the case study (2012-2014) and the results set for 2020 (the horizon of the SPP policy).