Enhancing Public Sector Performance within the Framework of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) - Case Study of Department of Feeder Roads

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2014-07-29
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Abstract
Public procurement (PP) management is a cornerstone of good governance. Ghana’s public procurement accounts for fifty per cent to seventy per cent of the national budgets. The Ministry of Roads and Highway received a substantial budgetary allocation for road construction and maintenance since the sector played a significant and strategic role in the socio-economic development of Ghana. Despite this important role, the industry is still on grand scale inefficiency. The road agencies are challenged with varying degrees of weak management and inadequately trained workforce. Again, in spite of the legal and institutional reforms carried out in the public procurement sector in Ghana, Public Procurement Law has failed to eradicate corruption in the sector. Party loyalty to the government, ethnicity and bribes are the three main factors that influence the award of contracts, rather than merits and compliance with procurement requirements. (Ghana Integrity Initiative’s, 2010) It is against this background the study was designed to enhance Public sector performance in procurement and ascertain challenges that hinder the development of procurement within Department of Feeder Roads (DFR). The study adopted interviews methodology as the main approach to collect data from procurement workforce within DFR. The results bring to light that the changing procurement environment is reflected in the importance of skill areas towards global shift to collaborative working relationships between client and contractors to achieve value for money. The study further indicates a substantial proportion of lower rate performance of procurement skills. Moreover, DFR is challenged with unavailability of funds and political interference which ultimately hinder skills development. The implication is, however, that if adequate funding can be provided and the political interference managed, then skills development is possible to achieve the expected outcomes. The study concluded that skills development within DFR have to be generally welcome towards improving competencies to manage the current changing global procurement shift. This would fill the skill gaps to manage the changing procurement practice in order to achieve maximum value for money. The study recommends that progressive, deliberate action must be developed to enhance skills of the procurement workforce to manage and safeguard taxpayer’s money. The central government should increase the needed financial resources to support the PPA and the Road Ministry to develop skills of the workforce to complement that provided by the partner institutions.
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A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of Master of Science degree in Procurement Management, June-2014
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