Ren, Z; Kwaw, P and Yang, F (2012) Ghana's public procurement reform and the continuous use of the traditional procurement system: The way forward. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 2(1), pp. 56-69. ISSN 2044-124X
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of the traditional procurement approach (TPA) under Ghana's procurement reform and explore if other possible procurement strategies could help to improve value for money in the Ghanaian public sectors. The fundamental questions to be addressed are: "Is the procurement reform addressing the deficiencies in the public sector procurement?"; "Are clients and professionals satisfied with the present procurement system?"; "What are the possible alternatives?"; and "What procurement selection criteria should be adopted?". Design/methodology/approach: To answer the above questions, an extensive literature review was conducted which provides the background to public procurement reform and reveals the status of the TPA in the public sector. Based on the outcomes of the literature review, three rounds of questionnaire surveys and face-to-face discussions were undertaken. The targeted population was carefully selected from different sectors of the industry and regions of the country. Findings: The results of the study reveal the deficiencies in contractors' performance arising from the use of TPA with a focus on time, budget, buildability and relationships among participants. It also ranks the criteria for procurement selection and suggests the D & B method as the most favourable alternative procurement strategy. Suggestions were made in the area of tendering processes, collaborative working, contractors' competence, government's work efficiency, and whole-life performance criteria. Practical implications: This study evaluates the TPA performance after Ghana's procurement reform in 2003 and provides guidelines to the industry and government for further procurement reform aimed at improving value for money. Originality/value: This research provides a systematic study on the public procurement reform and the TPA adopted in Ghana's public sector. The essential problems associated with the TPA in the industry are identified and analyzed, the procurement selection criteria are examined and an alternative procurement approach is postulated.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction works; Ghana; procurement reform; public procurement; public sector; public sector reform; traditional procurement approach |
| Index terms: | tendering process, buildability, public sector procurement, performance criteria, efficiency, traditional procurement, public sector, procurement strategy, Ghana, survey, literature review, face, construction work, questionnaire, procurement system, competence, population, methodology, value-for-money, selection criteria |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, psychology, operations management, contractual arrangements, data analysis and analytics, performance measurement, research methods, performance management, tendering, Geography, evaluation, personnel development, demography, administrative law, design efficiency |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Legal Issues, Urban Studies, Quality Management, Human Resources, Value Management, Organizational Design, Research Practice, Project Management, Geographical Context, Procurement |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here