Public procurement governance and administrative efficiency evidence from Uganda
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Date
2014
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
This cross-sectional descriptive study involving a sample of 175 respondents related to public procurement governance and administrative efficiency in Uganda’s public sector. While public procurement was long regarded a key specialty within public administration, it disappointingly remained a largely neglected field of academic inquiry. This neglect extended to its inclusion in public administration curriculum in most universities. Given the amount of public money spent through this function coupled with continuous fingering of the procurement function by policy makers as suspected to contribute to administrative inefficiencies led to the urgent need to conduct an empirical investigation. The study objectives constructed around four core dimensions of procurement governance as conceptualized with the help of the Transaction Cost economic Theory (TCE) and other literatures. The objectives related to how procurement governance structures, processes, mechanisms and processes influence administrative efficiency in Uganda.Quantitative data was collected through a closed ended questionnaire and the emerging statistical analyses were done which generated overall finding that demonstrate how procurement governance accounted for a statistically significant variation of 46% in administrative efficiency at 95% confidence level. At individual factor level, procurement governance values were found to be more important predictors of administrative efficiency than the structure, processes and mechanisms. Contrary to the perceived theoretical stance against bureaucratic style of management, this study further found support for the applicability of bureaucratic models to public procurement. The quantitative results were supplemented by qualitative findings from interviews and documentary sources; a synthesis of whose findings led to drawing appropriate conclusions of the study. The study draws important policy and management implications. The study makes an important contribution to our understanding of public procurement and administrative efficiency in a developing country context but its findings appeal to wider local, regional and international audiences.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF JF1525.P85U33B37 )
Keywords
Uganda, Government purchasing
Citation
Basheka, B.(2014) Public procurement governance and administrative efficiency evidence from Uganda,Doctoral dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam.