The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore a generalised use of emergency procurement for essential goods and services, highlighting the importance of identifying and managing risks in public procurement systems and processes. The pandemic affected the way governments plan (at different levels), conduct procurement, and manage their ongoing contracts, not only for health products and services, but also for the goods, services and infrastructure needed to provide essential public services. Prior to the pandemic, only a few countries, such as Finland, already had a public procurement strategy in place as part of crisis preparedness, for instance through stockpiling. Most countries have been forced to rethink their risk management strategies and put measures in place that can be activated in the event of a shock.