Integrating environmental and social considerations into public work procurement in Ghana

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Date
JUNE 2014
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Abstract
The study assessed how environmental and social factors could be integrated into the public procurement system in Ghana. Ghana as a developing country lacks the integration of environmental and social factors in the Public Procurement system. In most countries like Ghana, clear cut policies that detail environmental and social factors-critical indices for systematically linking Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) with broader sustainable development goals is absent. This makes implementation measures linked to SPP very difficult. The study was a survey. The researcher sampled purposively twenty three procurement officers from eight Ministries in Ghana. Despite the strong agreement by procurement practitioners to prioritizing the environmental and social factors during procurement decisions and processes, during tendering, specifications championing, social and environmental prioritization was partially complied with. The challenges facing the procurement officers in their bid to integrate environmental and social factors in the public procurement include an absence of reverse logistics activities where after a product sale aimed at reducing costs and conserving resources, there is no extension of producer responsibility programs or refurbishing and re‐manufacturing processes. The study recommends that the Public Procurement Authority build the capacity of procurement officers. Procurement officers should be trained regularly to aid in their understanding of the relevance and role environmental and social factors play in ensuring sustainable procurement. A review of the Public Procurement Act (Act 663) to properly spell out social and environmental demands/requirements so practitioners who would default will be brought to book is recommended.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology as part of the requirement for award of the Master of Science (MSc) Procurement Management.
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