The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the management of public procurement of road works, case study: Ghana Highway Authority (GHA)
Loading...
Date
2013-08-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become necessary in all human endeavors as the world continues to experience globalization of all forms. ICT has been applied in various fields of human endeavor to improve the operations of organizations both corporate and governmental in nature. One area that has not witnessed massive application of globalization is the construction industry. In this industry, one main function required for commencement of works is procurement; a major part of the construction industry and its variant forms of projects such as buildings and road construction. The road construction subsector is crucial to the development of every country and this is why works procurement in this subsector of the construction industry must be improved. One way of improving procurement in the road construction sector is the utilization of ICT facilities. However, this novel agenda has been lacking for some time now hence the desire to embark on a study of this nature to assess the modalities for utilization of ICT in road works procurement. The study adopted the quantitative approach in its conduct yielding key findings including online documentation of tender processes; creation of feedback system (Frequently Ask Questions) to pave way for sharing of information; training of employees in the use of ICT tools among others. The study found that the implementation of the ICT tool in public procurement of roadwork is still in the infancy stage in Ghana. Usage is limited to transfer of documentation and tender adverts; however obstacles such as employee resistance, security, cost, and lack of involvement of end users in the developmental stages impede the process of implementation. Employees in public procurement entities responsible for road works procurement must be trained in the rudiments of using ICT facilities.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science
in
Procurement Management, 2013